Join Docomomo US/PHL in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood for an exclusive tour of the house and garden of famed landscape architect and ecological planner Ian McHarg. Author of the seminal book, Design With Nature (1969), McHarg’s early works and collaborations focused on enhancing the quality of open space in Philadelphia. These first works included the landscape for the Pennsylvania State office building at Broad & Spring Garden (1955-58), Woodland Walk on the University of Pennsylvania Campus (1957-58), and several collaborations with architects Louis Kahn and Oscar Stonorov.
The House—a Stonorov design—was originally built in 1956-57 for Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Frantz. McHarg purchased the property in the mid-1960s and immediately began to make improvements to the landscape through the additions of brick paths and terraces, a rock garden and adjacent pond, as well as extensive plantings. The house would serve as the McHargs’ home for the next decade, a period that saw his rise to international fame as a central figure in the environmental movement.
In recent years, McHarg’s landscapes, along with numerous works by Stonorov, have unfortunately been lost or altered beyond recognition. The McHarg House and Garden stands as a rare survivor; an important but largely overlooked example of modernism in Greater Philadelphia. This is a limited opportunity to visit and experience this historic property with the gracious help of the current owners and historical knowledge of William Whitaker, the Curator of Penn’s Architectural Archives. Participants will also be able to explore the adjacent Cherokee Apartments, also a design by Oscar Stonorov with a landscape designed by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander.