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Eolia
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Kite aerial photo over the Harkness mansion
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| Location | Great Neck Rd., Waterford, Connecticut |
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| Coordinates | 41°18′17″N 72°6′47″W / 41.30472°N 72.11306°WCoordinates: 41°18′17″N 72°6′47″W / 41.30472°N 72.11306°W |
| Area | 220 acres (89 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | Lord and Hewlett; et al. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 86003331 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1986 |
Eolia, the Harkness mansion (230 acres) is a Connecticut park and botanical garden located in Waterford, Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound.
The park comprises a 42-room mansion, designed by the New York architectural firm of Lord and Hewlett, with a surrounding area containing Italian garden and greenhouse.
The mansion is called Eolia, the estate of Edward Harkness, heir to a fortune initiated by his father Stephen V. Harkness's substantial investments in John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, who purchased the mansion in 1907.
Edward Harkness purchased the mansion in 1907.
From 1918 to 1929, extensive improvements were made by landscape designer Beatrix Jones Farrand.
Eolia was left to Connecticut in 1950 and became part of the park system in 1952.
As Eolia—Harkness Estate, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The 0.89 km2 district that was listed included 15 contributing buildings and two other contributing structures.
During the 1990s, an extensive restoration of the Harkness Estate and grounds was undertaken, supported by the State of Connecticut.
The lead restoration architect for this project was British architect Roger Clarke of Canto, Connecticut, with contributions by British architect Peter Clarke and consultant on historic gardens Rob Camp Fuoco.
At the start of the restoration, the "bones" of the gardens and rudimentary shrubs and perennials were looked at and installed.
During the following ten years, a dedicated group of volunteers, "The Friends of Eolia", or the Friends of Harkness, and competent park supervisors and staff have refined the gardens and brought them forward to their current beauty and historic relevance.
See also
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
References
- ^ Jump up to: a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
External links[edit]
- Harkness Memorial State Park Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
- Friends of Harkness Memorial State Park
- Clouette, Bruce (April 7, 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Eolia - The Harkness Estate". National Park Service. With accompanying photos from 1985 and 1986
- Historic photos of Eolia interiors from the Library of Congress
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Categories:
- Historic districts in Connecticut
- State parks of Connecticut
- Botanical gardens in Connecticut
- Parks in New London County, Connecticut
- Waterford, Connecticut
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
- Houses completed in 1907
- Museums in New London County, Connecticut
- Historic house museums in Connecticut
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