Landscape Architect Articles

Marian College, Friends of Riverdale Working to Restore Jens Jensen Landscape10-05-07 | News

Marian College, Friends of Riverdale Working to Restore Jens Jensen Landscape

Jens Jensen?EUR??,,????'???s gardens for the Allison estate, now home to Marian College in Indianapolis, are being restored.

Marian College in Indianapolis, Ind. and the Friends of Riverdale have been working to restore the Riverdale landscapes of Midwest landscape architect Jens Jensen. Riverdale was constructed between 1911and 1914 for James Allison, co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway co-founder. The grounds of the original 64-acre estate were designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951). Jensen developed an American garden style, which focused on native plants. Jensen?EUR??,,????'???s work is evident in several Chicago parks and the estates of Henry Ford and J.M. Studebaker Jr., among others.

The Allison Mansion on the Riverdale estate was the first home of Marian College?EUR??,,????'??+classes were held there and it housed the library. Marian College has been working with the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indy Parks, Ball State University, the Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation & Archeology, and Storrow Kinsella Associates (a local landscape architecture studio) to explore this aspect of the campus?EUR??,,????'??? history. Today, the president’s office and staff work here and the college holds receptions and meetings here.

The house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has been preserved, but the Jens Jensen landscape was not cared for and some sections were destroyed.

The college recently celebrated the birthday of Jens Jensen with tours of the landscape, including the recently rehabilitated circular garden that recalls his design.

Malcolm Cairns, chairman of the department of landscape architecture at Ball State University, and David Roth, RLA, of the special projects division of Hannum, Wagle & Cline of Indianapolis, presented “Jens Jensen, The Prophet of the Prairie.”