Old Westbury Gardens 2009-2010 Biennial Report Old Westbury Gardens PO Box 430 Old Westbury, NY 11568 (516) 333-0048 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Friends, The last two years have been filled with challenges, for individuals, businesses and charities. These challenges create opportunities to change the way an organization like ours serves the public. With the assistance of the Board of Trustees, Old Westbury Gardens made necessary cuts to the budget to weather the most severe recession in the life of our organization. However, with creative and resourceful staff members and loyal volunteers, Old Westbury Gardens has emerged as a healthier organization. One area that served us very well during these stressful times was our horticultural intern program. The Gardens work in partnership with Ohio State in selecting the best qualified candidates available for the six to nine month program. This skilled and enthusiastic labor arrives in March when our maintenance demands are highest. This program provides a resource to maintain the high standard that has made Old Westbury Gardens a destination. Diligently working on corporate support for our Environmental Education program, we secured new grants from a private foundation and from two banks. Our prior supporters continued their funding streams. A cultivation event contributed new funding and we completely offset the costs of providing this program to one of the highest need school districts in Nassau County. As you will see in the following pages, preservation projects were completed, garden restoration projects have begun, and we continue to refine our public programs to be sure they are providing the sort of entertainment our visitors seek. I hope you will contact me if you’d like a tour of the progress the Gardens has made but as they say, sometimes a picture can say a thousand words. I hope you will feel as encouraged as I am at the progress made over the last two years. Yours truly, John S. Norbeck, President and CEO (ii) Officers & Staff OFFICERS & STAFF Officers Mary S. Phipps Chairman Frank Castagna Vice Chairman Carol E. Large Vice Chairman John S. Norbeck President & CEO Anne B. Byers Secretary John M. Deignan Treasurer Advisors to Board Public Relations Roger L. Bahnik Vincent J. Kish, Director Board of Trustees Jane Choate Arlene J. Blau William T. Comfort, Jr. Horticulture John R. Bransfield Dean F. Failey Maura Brush, Director John S. P. Cochran Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen Peter T. Donohue Sandra DeMille Patricia C. Montgomerie Kimberly Johnson Emily T. Frick Dorothy B. Moore Scott Lucas Irene R. Gachot Julian H. Robertson, Jr. Pasquale Palmisano Richard Gachot Norman H. Volk William M. Story Jane S. Greenleaf Richard Weir III Annmarie Zawistowski George K. Wittlinger, Sr. Robert F. Hussey Laureen Stanton Knutsen Liaisons to Board Operations Sandra M. Lessing Kay Maris Peter J. DeBlasi, Director Arthur S. Levine Edward Nolan John DeMaille Thomas McPartland Julie Wellington Bob Garrone Dita Naylor-Leyland Michael A. Grimaldi Dita Amory Nickson STAFF Doreen Lumbra Jeffrey S. Phipps Luis E. Rinaldini John S. Norbeck Preservation Elaine Schwartzreich President and CEO Lorraine Gilligan, Director Gigi Guenther Sheldon Janice Bloom Lloyd P. Zuckerberg Administration J. Robert Thompson Eric A. Wheeler, Director Emeritus Trustees Erin McCauley Public Programs and Susan Phipps Cochran Elizabeth Zimmerli Visitor Services Ann B. Copeland Paul Hunchak, Director J. Oliver Crom Development Kimberly S. Di Ciero Beatrice H. Guthrie Doreen Banks, Director Stephanie Gentilini-Pagonis Catherine G. Heyes Charlene Enoch Lisa Reichenberger Evelyn G. Johnson Jana Ryan Jairo Restrepo Ann L. Nolte Lisa Thornell Angela Savino (1) Accomplishments 2009-2010 OLD WESTBURY GARDENS ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2009-2010 Introduction Old Westbury Gardens is completing its 51st year of operation as a public garden. Its Statement of Purpose approved in 1978 includes the following: Old Westbury Gardens, Inc. was founded for the purpose of preserving the beauty and personal charm of Westbury House and its gardens as created by John S. Phipps and Margarita Grace Phipps in the early 20th century when it was lived in by the (Phipps) family. The house is a fine repository for the history of its architecture, furnishings, gardens and way of life…To further this purpose we must: Maintain the house in the tradition of Mr. and Mrs. Phipps. Maintain the gardens using new and improved plants and trees where advisable, but always in keeping with the original plantings, and to keep beautifully maintained herbaceous borders, which are becoming a thing of the past. Attract the public to enjoy the special ambiance of Old Westbury Gardens and to learn about its way of life. Increase membership through programs such as lectures, trips, special events and the Newsletter. Train volunteer guides to assist the public in appreciating the Gardens’ special features. Offer educational programs and graphic displays related to the interpretation of the house, gardens and the period. Gather together a collection of architectural and gardening books suitable to the house and gardens. As a measure of the success of the Gardens and its adherence to these principles, in 2009, the Gardens is named one of the ten most beautiful public gardens in the world by a panel of distinguished horticulturists. Previously, cultural critic Brendan Gill called Old Westbury Gardens one of the finest examples of English gardens in America. (2) Accomplishments 2009-2010 MAJOR CHANGES In 2008 Old Westbury Gardens completed a $3.1 million campaign to acquire a 35 acre property contiguous to the Gardens in Old Westbury. The property, called Orchard Hill, is located in the Old Westbury Special Groundwater Protection Area and was identified by Nassau County’s Open Space Committee as an important property to preserve. Nassau County purchased development rights through its 2005 Environmental Bond Act. The Gardens agreed to purchase the land and its buildings to be used for public programming. This pre-Civil War era Quaker farm complex called Orchard Hill is now the site of a formal environmental education program, involving public and private school students, the girl scouts and other programs open to the general public. The property’s ancillary buildings are used to house horticultural interns from around the world, selected by the Director of Horticulture. The main house is used to host private and public events for Old Westbury Gardens such as lectures, teas and book signings. In 2008, the Gardens signed a 99 year lease with Nassau County to manage the property known as the Dairy Farm. This is a 12 acre parcel on the south service road of the Long Island Expressway and Old Westbury Road. It includes staff housing, a milking and dairy barn, a silo and a chicken coop. The Gardens re-roofed several buildings to stabilize them and the Board of Trustees is currently examining various ways to use this as a future educational site. PRESERVATION PROGRESS Preservation at Old Westbury Gardens encompasses maintaining the architectural integrity of the man-made environment and the historic interiors and collections within Westbury House and the residence known as Orchard Hill. Some projects have been undertaken with matching grant support from New York State, gifts from private donors, cultivation events or funding through the Friends of Old Westbury Gardens. (3) Accomplishments 2009-2010 Expansion of the National Register Boundaries for Old Westbury Gardens The original nomination in 1976 of Old Westbury Gardens to the National Register included about 88 acres and focuses on Westbury House. The Gardens has been given or acquired additional parcels of the original John S. Phipps estate as well as the contiguous 35 acre Orchard Hill purchased in 2007. The expanded nomination will include these parcels as well as describing significant landscape, hardscape and buildings contributing to the significance of Old Westbury Gardens. By including Orchard Hill on the National Register the Gardens will be able to pursue significant funding opportunities. Walled Garden Pergola Dome and Trellis Restoration The Walled Garden is one of the most renowned features of Old Westbury Gardens. It is crowned at its southern terminus by the gently curving wooden pergola spanning over 100 running feet. The pergola and its imposing center dome were restored or stabilized as needed in partnership with a grant from the NYS Environmental Fund and a match by a generous donor. Working in partnership with the horticultural staff, invasive plant material has been pruned, soil levels in plant beds lowered, and drip irrigation instituted, all to prevent moisture from damaging the pergola. East Lake Swimming Pool and Terrace This significant architectural feature just southeast of Westbury House was restored after extensive masonry repairs stabilized the overlook terrace and additional drainage added to relieve the hydrostatic pressure from the sloping landscape leading to the terrace. Old marble dust has been removed from the interior of the swimming pool, repairs made to the pool’s walls and the interior re- marble dusted. Hemlocks planted by the swimming pool are benefiting from improved ground drainage. (4) Accomplishments 2009-2010 Westbury House Collyweston Slate Roof The Gardens is conducting a study of the existing conditions of the limestone Collyweston slates on Westbury House. Limestone slates are more vulnerable to climate changes and pollution than granite slates. The slates were quarried in the English Midlands and have been used on many prestigious English buildings. Due to economics and environmental concerns, many of the quarries have been closed and obtaining new or recycled Collyweston slates has become challenging. The Gardens was fortunate in obtaining a limited supply of newly quarried slates. We continue to pursue additional supplies of slates while repairing the existing roof dating from 1907. Courtyard Knee Wall The north elevation of Westbury House is composed of the main entrance and courtyard which is framed by an impressive limestone knee wall.