Skidmore’s Alumni Memorial Garden

When E. Clarence Jones installed an elaborate circular garden behind his North Broadway estate in 1918, he couldn’t have imagined that over 100 years later it would become a place for celebration, peaceful contemplation and thoughtful commemoration.

Today, the 6,000-square-foot garden has been carefully restored, preserved and maintained by generations of Skidmore alumni. Its primary usage is as a memorial space, providing an intimate setting for Skidmore community members and alumni to remember classmates, faculty and friends who have passed.

It’s also become a special place for countless guests who have visited the gardens for their own special moments.

 

Did you know:

• The gardens were first restored as a passion project. We have Florence Andresen ’57, Barbara Mansfield Saul ’57, Elizabeth Hartz Hewitt ’57 and Marge O’Meara Storrs ’57 to thank for what we get to enjoy today.
• Ceramic vases filled with lush annuals depict the cycle of life and are the work of ceramists Jill Fishon-Kovachik ’81 and Skidmore faculty artist Leslie Ferst ’76.
• The centerpiece of the garden, dedicated in October 2004, is a ceramic sculpture of Bhumi Devi (a Hindu goddess representing Mother Earth) by artist Barbara Stroock Kaufman ’40.