Bayard Cutting Arboretum

 Bayard Cutting Arboretum is a state park located in Great River, on the south shore of Long Island. The park consists of 691 acres and an arboretum, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1886. Olmsted created the design for William Bayard Cutting, who owned the land and a mansion on the property. Cutting and Olmsted wanted to focus on the landscape’s natural beauty, rather than changing the property for their own desires. Cutting also consulted with Charles Sprague Sargent, who was the director of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Charles Sprague Sargent advised Cutting to develop a wide-ranging conifer collection, which he also advised to be placed north of the carriage house. Cutting also was assisted in the development of his property by Ernest Wilson. Wilson was sponsored by Harvard University to bring tree specimens to the United States from China, and some of these tree specimens were used in the creation of the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. Many of the original trees and plants on the grounds came from nurseries in England at the start of the 1900s. Over time, the Cutting family continued adding trees, which originated from Europe, Spain, Greece, Japan, China and Africa.

Cutting’s mansion was located in the heart of the grounds and was designed by Charles C. Haight. The mansion was named “Westbrook” and was modeled after Tudor-style English county houses. The mansion consists of 60-rooms and features large pieces of oak furniture, stained glass windows and imported fireplaces for the luxury of the Cutting family. Many of their heirlooms are still present in the home now, as part of a museum. The home was situated in the perfect location so that the family could view the Connetquot River from the back of the home across the open lawn.

After the early passing of William Bayard Cutting, the home was given to his widow, Olivia, as part of his estate. In 1936, Olivia Cutting and her daughter decided to make an extremely generous donation of the 200 acres of the property to the Long Island State Park Commission with the stipulation that they may both keep full use of the property as long as either is still living. They decided to gift both their home and property to the people of Long Island “to provide an oasis of beauty and quiet for the pleasure, rest, and refreshment of those who delight in outdoor beauty; and to bring about a greater appreciation and understanding of the value and important of informal planting”.

Alterations were made to the grounds for additional parking, bathrooms and a tearoom for the main house. Then, the park was officially opened to the public in 1954. To commit to the Cutting family’s desires for the grounds, patrons were not allowed to picnic, bathe in the waters, horseback ride, or create or use playgrounds. The sole purpose of the grounds was for the admiration of nature. Eventually, Bayard Cutting Arboretum was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as a “historic district”.

Sources:

Bayard cutting Arboretum State Park. (2021, March 23). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayard_Cutting_Arboretum_State_Park#cite_note-nrhpinv_ny-3

Biography of the Bayard cutting family. (2021, March 17). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://bayardcuttingarboretum.com/about-bayard-cutting-arboretum/bayard-cutting-biography/

Westbrook, Suffolk County, New York. (2020, June 12). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westbrook,_Suffolk_County,_New_York