The Rockery

Last updated
The Rockery The Rockery (North Easton, MA).JPG
The Rockery

The Rockery, also known as the Memorial Cairn, is an unusual war memorial designed by the noted American landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted. It is located at the center of North Easton Center in Easton, Massachusetts, where it forms the focal point for two adjacent H. H. Richardson buildings with their own Olmsted landscapes.

The Rockery was created in 1882 as a memorial for North Easton's citizens lost in the American Civil War, a public area, and a carriage promenade with views of North Easton. It consists of boulders heaped into a long, asymmetric mound across a rustic archway that echoes those of H. H. Richardson's nearby Oakes Ames Memorial Hall.

In April 1882 Olmsted wrote to Oakes Angier Ames that such cairns were of monuments "the oldest and most enduring in the world", and with "the beautiful plants that have become rooted in them and which spring out of their crannies or have grown over them. . . are far more interesting and pleasant to see than the greater number of those constructed of massive masonry and elaborate sculpture." He further explained that plants growing across the rocky buttress would symbolize peace taming war.

Over the years, boulders loosened and toppled away, stairways crumbled, and the gardens filled with weeds. At one point, the Rockery was lowered from its original height of 25 feet and utility poles installed on its eastern tip. In recent years, however, the Rockery has been restored and is being actively maintained.

Related Research Articles

Easton, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,112 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Greater Boston area.

Oakes Ames American businessman, investor, and politician

Oakes Ames was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. As a congressman, he is credited by many historians as being the single most important influence in the building of the Union Pacific portion of the transcontinental railroad. He is also noted for the subsequent scandal that alleged the improper sale of stock of the railroad's construction company.

Henry Hobson Richardson

Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent North American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one of "the recognized trinity of American architecture".

Oliver Ames (governor) 19th-century American businessman, financier, and politician

Oliver Ames was an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and Republican politician who served as the 35th Governor of Massachusetts from 1887 to 1890.

Back Bay Fens

The Back Bay Fens, often called The Fens, is a parkland and urban wild in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was established in 1879. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to serve as a link in the Emerald Necklace park system, the Fens gives its name to the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood.

Oliver Ames Jr.

Oliver Ames Jr. was president of Union Pacific Railroad when the railroad met the Central Pacific Railroad in Utah for the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America.

Oliver Ames High School Public school in the United States

Oliver Ames High School is a public high school in Easton, Massachusetts, United States. The school currently enrolls approximately 1200 students in grades 9 through 12 and is named after Oliver Ames. Oliver Ames offers Advanced Placement, Honors, college preparatory, business, and standard programs, as well as electives in the visual and performing arts, business and industrial arts, and home economics.

Ames Free Library United States historic place

The Ames Free Library is a public library designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located at 53 Main Street, Easton, Massachusetts, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Oakes Ames Memorial Hall.

Oakes Ames Memorial Hall United States historic place

Oakes Ames Memorial Hall is a historic hall designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson, with landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted. It is located on Main Street in the village of North Easton in Easton, Massachusetts, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Ames Free Library.

Ames Monument United States historic place

The Ames Monument is a large pyramid in Albany County, Wyoming, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and dedicated to brothers Oakes Ames and Oliver Ames, Jr., Union Pacific Railroad financiers. It marked the highest point on the First Transcontinental Railroad, at 8,247 feet (2,514 m).

Ames Gate Lodge United States historic place

The Ames Gate Lodge is a celebrated work by American architect H. H. Richardson. It is privately owned on an estate landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, but its north facade can be seen from the road at 135 Elm Street, North Easton, Massachusetts. In 2013, the Ames Gate Lodge was protected by a preservation easement held by Historic New England.

Oakes Angier Ames American philanthropist and businessman

Oakes Angier Ames was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist in the Ames family of North Easton, Massachusetts.

North Easton Historic District United States historic place

The North Easton Historic District is a historic district in Easton, Massachusetts encompassing a cohesive village area developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily through the activities of the locally important Ames family. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1987, a portion of the district was designated a National Historic Landmark District, known as the H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton, which includes several buildings designed for the Ameses by architect H. H. Richardson.

F. L. Ames Gardeners Cottage United States historic place

The F. L. Ames Gardener's Cottage is a small residential house in North Easton, Massachusetts. This building was designed in 1884 by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and built the following year. This building sits on the original Ames estate and was designed soon after the neighboring Ames Gate Lodge. Frederick Lothrop Ames also commissioned Richardson to build the nearby Old Colony Railroad Station. Two other notable buildings in North Easton, the Ames Free Library and Oakes Ames Memorial Hall, were also Richardson designs and commissioned by the Ames family.

H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton United States historic place

The H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton is a National Historic Landmark District in the village of North Easton in Easton, Massachusetts. It consists of five buildings designed by noted 19th-century architect Henry Hobson Richardson, and The Rockery, a war memorial designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Washington Park Historic District (Albany, New York) United States historic place

Washington Park in Albany, New York is the city's premier park and the site of many festivals and gatherings. As public property it dates back to the city charter in 1686, and has seen many uses including that of gunpowder storage, square/parade grounds, and cemetery. The park is often mistaken as being designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, as it incorporate many of the philosophical ideals used by Olmsted when he designed Central Park in Manhattan. The park is about 81 acres (33 ha) in size with the 5.2-acre (2.1 ha) Washington Park Lake, a roughly 1,600-foot-long (490 m) and 140-foot-wide (43 m) lake, in the southwestern corner.

Ames Shovel Shop United States historic place

The Ames Shovel Shops, also known as Ames Shovel Works or Ames Shovel Shop, is a historic 19th century industrial complex located in North Easton, Massachusetts. It is part of the North Easton Historic District, and consists of several granite buildings constructed between 1852 and 1885, along with several newer additions and outbuildings dating to about 1928.

North Easton station

North Easton station is a former railroad station designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located just off Oliver Street in North Easton, Massachusetts, and currently houses the Easton Historical Society. The station was built in 1881 and served commuter trains until 1958. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as Old Colony Railroad Station. In 1987, it also became part of the H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton, a National Historic Landmark District. The proposed Phase 2 of South Coast Rail would return commuter rail service to the location in 2030 as Easton Village station.

Frederick Lothrop Ames

Frederick Lothrop Ames was heir to a fortune in railroads and shovel manufacturing. He was Vice President of the Old Colony Railroad and director of the Union Pacific railroad. At the time of his death, Ames was reported to be the wealthiest person in Massachusetts.

Warinanco Park 204-acre park in Roselle and Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.

Warinanco Park is a popular 204-acre park on St. Georges Avenue in Roselle, New Jersey and the neighboring city of Elizabeth. The park is located near the Elizabeth River.

References

Coordinates: 42°3′58.7″N71°6′14.8″W / 42.066306°N 71.104111°W / 42.066306; -71.104111