Untermyer Gardens

The lecture will describe the creation and design of Untermyer Gardens in 1917 by Welles Bosworth for Samuel Untermyer, who desired that it be the “finest garden in the world.” Sprawling over 150 acres on the Hudson River in Yonkers, it was maintained by 60 gardeners and supplied by 60 greenhouses. The Walled Garden is the finest Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere, the Vista is the most monumental garden feature in America featuring 2 ancient Roman columns and the Temple of Love contains 5 waterfalls and 6 cascades. It is a garden of superlatives.

The Walled Garden is based on the concept of the Garden of Eden, which is a shared concept of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Untermyer’s career as a leading progressive Jew in America brilliantly reflects this multi-cultural aspect of the garden.

Owned by the City of Yonkers, the garden was in very poor condition and little known until the establishment of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in 2011 by Stephen Byrns. Since then, 7 gardeners have been hired, 75,000 visitors came in 2018 and many features of the garden have been restored.

The lecture contains beautiful photos of the garden in its heyday, its descent into ruin, and its rebirth. It also reviews the many historical accomplishments of Samuel and Minnie Untermyer.