Untermyer 5 Temple of Sky
And now for more of the gardens.
Samuel Untermyer was born in Virginia in 1858, and as a boy moved to New York City after the Civil War. He was a founding partner in the law firm of Guggenheimer, Untermyer & Marshall, and was the first lawyer in America to earn a one million dollar fee on a single case. He was also an astute investor, and became extremely wealthy.
Untermyer was also passionately interested in horticulture. He famously said that if he could do it over again, he would want to be the Parks Commissioner in New York City! Unlike most wealthy garden-owners, Untermyer was expertly knowledgeable about horticulture. The level of horticulture at the Untermyer Gardens was nationally famous, and some great gardeners got their training there.
His ambition for the garden was that it be not less than the "finest garden in America."*
The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy was founded in 2011 by Stephen F. Byrns to reclaim the lost splendor of Untermyer Gardens, a Yonkers municipal park that is the home of the finest Indo-Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1899 Samuel Untermyer purchased Greystone, the former estate of Samuel Tilden. In the forty one years Untermyer owned Greystone, he transformed the gardens and greenhouses into some of the most celebrated gardens in America. After expanding the estate through property purchases to the north and east of the original estate, he hired Beaux Arts architect Welles Bosworth to design the gardens in 1916. These gardens sprawled over 150 acres overlooking the Hudson River and were maintained by 60 gardeners and supplied by 60 greenhouses. It was open to the public on a weekly basis during the 1920s and for special events, including displays of his famous chrysanthemums and tulips. Thirty-thousand people visited it on one day in 1939.
Upon Samuel Untermyer’s death in 1940, the garden was left in limbo while the estate was settled and a plan to care for it determined. A core part of the gardens was acquired by the City of Yonkers in 1946. In the 1990s, another parcel was acquired, bringing its present acreage to 43. Today, its prestige as one of the greatest gardens in America has been restored, and it is one of the top visitor destinations in Westchester County.
Now, here is an interesting tidbit connected to this park and gardens. It might be hard to believe, but these beautiful gardens, and this property fell into a state of disrepair back in the 1970's. And it was a period in the NYC area when drugs and crime were a major problem. And the occult, and tales of the occult seemingly had generated some new interest. Neighbors around the gardens would hear chanting and see people walking in the park carrying flaming torches. The remains of skinned dogs were also found, and it became apparent that witchcraft and devil worship was at play in park. Satanic scribblings and ominous graffiti appear on columns, towers, and decrepit walls; cryptic markings alluding to a traumatic time in New York City’s history. And now the story gets even more interesting, particularly for those who remember the serial killer "Son of Sam," who later was identified as David Berkowitz, the accused killer of 6, and possibly more. Berkowitz was a devil worshiper and cult follower, and frequented the park in those days on many occasions. Interestingly, a man named Sam Carr, was “the high official of the Devil’s Legion,” and probably how Berkowitz had identified himself as the murderer by leaving a note behind saying it was the "son of Sam" who had committed the crime. In 1976, the crime spree and murders had terrified the people living in the area, and it was until Berkowitz was actually captured in 1977 that the city once again relaxed some.
Untermyer 5 Temple of Sky
And now for more of the gardens.
Samuel Untermyer was born in Virginia in 1858, and as a boy moved to New York City after the Civil War. He was a founding partner in the law firm of Guggenheimer, Untermyer & Marshall, and was the first lawyer in America to earn a one million dollar fee on a single case. He was also an astute investor, and became extremely wealthy.
Untermyer was also passionately interested in horticulture. He famously said that if he could do it over again, he would want to be the Parks Commissioner in New York City! Unlike most wealthy garden-owners, Untermyer was expertly knowledgeable about horticulture. The level of horticulture at the Untermyer Gardens was nationally famous, and some great gardeners got their training there.
His ambition for the garden was that it be not less than the "finest garden in America."*
The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy was founded in 2011 by Stephen F. Byrns to reclaim the lost splendor of Untermyer Gardens, a Yonkers municipal park that is the home of the finest Indo-Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1899 Samuel Untermyer purchased Greystone, the former estate of Samuel Tilden. In the forty one years Untermyer owned Greystone, he transformed the gardens and greenhouses into some of the most celebrated gardens in America. After expanding the estate through property purchases to the north and east of the original estate, he hired Beaux Arts architect Welles Bosworth to design the gardens in 1916. These gardens sprawled over 150 acres overlooking the Hudson River and were maintained by 60 gardeners and supplied by 60 greenhouses. It was open to the public on a weekly basis during the 1920s and for special events, including displays of his famous chrysanthemums and tulips. Thirty-thousand people visited it on one day in 1939.
Upon Samuel Untermyer’s death in 1940, the garden was left in limbo while the estate was settled and a plan to care for it determined. A core part of the gardens was acquired by the City of Yonkers in 1946. In the 1990s, another parcel was acquired, bringing its present acreage to 43. Today, its prestige as one of the greatest gardens in America has been restored, and it is one of the top visitor destinations in Westchester County.
Now, here is an interesting tidbit connected to this park and gardens. It might be hard to believe, but these beautiful gardens, and this property fell into a state of disrepair back in the 1970's. And it was a period in the NYC area when drugs and crime were a major problem. And the occult, and tales of the occult seemingly had generated some new interest. Neighbors around the gardens would hear chanting and see people walking in the park carrying flaming torches. The remains of skinned dogs were also found, and it became apparent that witchcraft and devil worship was at play in park. Satanic scribblings and ominous graffiti appear on columns, towers, and decrepit walls; cryptic markings alluding to a traumatic time in New York City’s history. And now the story gets even more interesting, particularly for those who remember the serial killer "Son of Sam," who later was identified as David Berkowitz, the accused killer of 6, and possibly more. Berkowitz was a devil worshiper and cult follower, and frequented the park in those days on many occasions. Interestingly, a man named Sam Carr, was “the high official of the Devil’s Legion,” and probably how Berkowitz had identified himself as the murderer by leaving a note behind saying it was the "son of Sam" who had committed the crime. In 1976, the crime spree and murders had terrified the people living in the area, and it was until Berkowitz was actually captured in 1977 that the city once again relaxed some.