Planting Fields: A Place on Long Island

Planting Fields is an English Country House transported to the North Shore of Long Island, about 48 kilometres/30 miles east of Manhattan. Once home to William R. Coe, chairman of Johnson & Higgins, and his wife, Mai, an heir to the Standard Oil fortune, this lavish Tudor-revival mansion sits on a 400-acre landscape of rolling lawns, formal gardens, and woodlands. Now open to the public as a New York State Historic Park, Planting Fields is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its lawns and gardens draw more than 250,000 visitors annually, hosting both informal gatherings and celebrations. This new book tells the story of Planting Fields through stunning new photography by David Almeida, historic images, and sketches and plans by the Olmsted Brothers which capture the spirit of this rare survivor of the Country Place Era. A compelling introduction by noted historian Witold Rybczynski explores the designers who shaped it and the families who lived there, and additional essays examine the history of the site and the displacement of indigenous peoples in addition to outlining the future plan for sustainability and resilience in restoring the landscape.