House and Garden 
and arrangement of which he gave 
his undivided attention. Having 
a considerable acreage connected 
with this property he spent much 
time in developing the estate along 
lines which he considered typical 
of all that was best in the art of 
landscape gardening. There were 
quite a number of other large estates 
along the shores of the Hudson at that 
period which had been developed 
quite pretentiously, but beyond the 
work of Andre Parmentier, a French 
landscape gardener, who had settled 
in Brooklyn, and a few others whom 
wealthy land-owners had brought 
over from Europe for their own in¬ 
dividual use, there was little visible 
precedent for him to follow. He had 
thoroughly digested all the Old World 
literature on the subject, however; 
had studied the development of the 
art through the various transitions in style in 
England and France, so that he became technic¬ 
ally very well grounded. Fie later had oppor¬ 
tunities of forming the acquaintance of many 
influential people, among whom were the Baron 
De Linderer, Austrian Consul General whose 
summer home was in Newburgh, also Edward 
Armstrong and Charles A. Murray, well-known men 
of their day. His artistic sense was early developed 
through association with Raphael Hoyle, an English 
artist then living in Newburgh. With the influence 
thus obtained through association with people of 
high education and refinement, his own talents and 
sensibilities were thoroughly cultivated along lines 
10 cr£S»j 
’ CANO 
•C£? 
Jp 4P 4P CP 1 4P 4P 4D S Q 4 O ^ 
THE ORIGINAL LAYOUT AT A. J. DOWNING’S RESIDENCE 
THE OLD RESIDENCE OF A. J. DOW T NING, NEWBURGH 
which were to be of such great importance in his 
life-work. Thus with only an ordinary education 
he eagerly grasped all these later opportunities and 
by close study and continual observation, combined 
with all his natural talents, raised himself to the high 
position of authority in his profession which he 
gained at such an early age. 
While Downing exercised much influence in his 
day through the actual laying out and construction of 
very many fine estates, his greatest influence in the 
direction of the upbuilding of American country 
life was brought about through his writings. These 
were, as well as instructive, particularly pleasing in 
character and verbiage and were of a quality which 
could be developed only by an artist 
and enthusiast in his subject. His 
first book was “A Treatise on the 
Theory and Practice of Landscape 
Gardening” published in New York 
in 1841. In 1842 his “Cottage Resi¬ 
dences” was published; in 1845, 
“Fruit and Fruit-trees of America;” 
in 1850, second edition of the latter; 
in 1849, “Additional Notes and Hints 
to Persons about Building in the 
Country” for an American reprint 
of the English “Hints to Young Archi¬ 
tects;” in 1850, “Architecture of 
Country Houses.” He was editor of 
the “ Horticulturist” from 1846 to the 
time of his death in 1852, through 
the medium of which his influence was 
much felt by his able writings and 
editorials. He also contributed con¬ 
siderably to the “New York Mirror,” 
his description of the “Danskamer” 
44 
