Charles Freeman Gillette (1886–1969) was a prominent landscape architect in the upper South who specialized in the creation of grounds supporting Colonial Revival architecture, particularly in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. He is associated with the restoration and re-creation of historic gardens in the upper South and especially Virginia. He is known for having established a regional style—known as the "Virginia Garden."

Biography

In 1909-1911, Gillette served as an apprentice in the office of

Warren H. Manning Warren Henry Manning (November 7, 1860–February 5, 1938) was an American landscape designer and promoter of the informal and naturalistic "wild garden" approach to garden design. In his designs, Manning emphasized pre-existing flora through a ...

, a leading early-20th century landscape architect. Gillette moved to Richmond in 1913 to supervise the completion of Manning's landscape design for the University of Richmond's new campus. In 1915, he began designing the grounds of the Nelson House in Yorktown, Virginia. In 1924, he commenced work on the landscape restoration of Kenmore in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...

. A few years later, he initiated plans for the landscaping of

Virginia House Virginia House is a manor house on a hillside overlooking the James River in the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, United States. The house was constructed from the materials of the 16th-century Priory House, Warwick in Warwic ...

and Agecroft, both reconstructed English manor houses located in Richmond's Windsor Farms neighborhood. Extensive additions to the Virginia House gardens were completed in 1939. During the 1950s, Gillette redesigned the gardens of Virginia's

Executive Mansion Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

at the request of Governor

Thomas B. Stanley Thomas Bahnson Stanley (July 16, 1890 – July 10, 1970) was an American politician, furniture manufacturer and Holstein cattle breeder. A Democrat and member of the Byrd Organization, Stanley served in a number of different political offices ...

. In 1958, he designed the grounds for the Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters located at Richmond. His commissions also included hundreds of residential projects throughout Virginia and North Carolina.Library of Virginia: About the Charles F. Gillette Photograph Collection
/ref> A number of his works are for properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In popular culture

Author Tom Wolfe references Gillette as the commissioned landscaper of Dupont University in '' I Am Charlotte Simmons''.

Selected works

* University of Richmond (1913), Richmond, VA * Nelson House (1915), Yorktown, Virginia *

Casa Maria Casa Maria is a historic estate located near Greenwood, Albemarle County, Virginia, United States. The main house was built 1921–1922 in the Spanish-Mediterranean style, with a two-story brick addition that dates from 1928, and was designed b ...

(1921-1922), Greenwood, VA * Blue Ridge Farm (1923-1924), Greenwood, VA *

Sunken Garden (Virginia) The Sunken Garden (often erroneously referred to as the Sunken Gardens) is the central element of the Old Campus at the College of William and Mary. The garden consists of a long stretch of grass, lower than the surrounding area, that runs west fr ...

(1923-1924), Williamsburg, Virginia * Kenmore (1924), Fredericksburg, Virginia *

Agecroft Hall Agecroft Hall is a Tudor architecture, Tudor manor house and estate located at 4305 Sulgrave Road on the James River (Virginia), James River in the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, United States. The manor house was built in the ...

(1926), Richmond, VA *

MacCallum More and Hudgins House Historic District MacCallum More and Hudgins House Historic District is a pair of historic homes and national historic district located at Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. The district encompasses three contributing buildings and one contributing site Th ...

gardens (1927), Chase City, Virginia
Belfield
(1929-1930),

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

* Gallison Hall (1931-1933), Charlottesville, VA * Windemere (1860), Richmond, VA *

Midway (Millington, Virginia) Midway, also known as Riverdale Farm, is a historic home and farm complex located near Millington, Albemarle County, Virginia. The main dwelling is a two-story, four-bay brick structure with a two-story porch. It was built in three sections, wi ...

(1936), Millington, VA * Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters (1958), Richmond, VA * Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA * Glen Alpine in the Cifax Rural Historic District, Cifax, Virginia * Oak Grove (Eastville, Virginia), Eastville, VA * E. Hervey Evans House (1939),

Laurinburg, NC Laurinburg is a city in and the county seat of Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews University. T ...

Monroe Ward Monroe Ward is a historic neighborhood in Downtown Richmond. It is East of the Fan district and includes several apartment buildings, usually with VCU students living in them. Recently, VCU expanded its Monroe Park campus into the Monroe Ward wit ...

, Richmond, VA *

John Whitworth House John Whitworth House is a historic home located in Richmond, Virginia. It was built in 1857, and is a two-story, three-bay, Greek Revival style frame dwelling with a low hipped roof. The house was purchased by noted landscape architect Charles ...

, Richmond, VA *

Longview Gardens Historic District Longview Gardens Historic District is a historic post-World War II neighborhood and national historic district located miles east of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. The district encompasses 189 contributing buildings and five contributing sit ...

* Meadowbrook Country Club (Chesterfield County, Virginia)

References

External links

The Cultural Landscape Foundation: Charles Freeman GilletteGarden and Gun: "Gillette's Gem"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, Charles F. American landscape architects Architects from Richmond, Virginia 1886 births 1969 deaths Preservationist architects People from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin 20th-century American architects Architects from Wisconsin