Collection is open for research.
Gift of the Lord & Schryver Conservancy, care of Bobbie Dolp, March 2012 (Lib. Acc. 27582).
Elizabeth Lord (1887-1976) and Edith Schryver (1901-1984) founded their landscape architecture firm, Lord & Schryver, in Salem, Oregon, in 1929, and were the first women in the Pacific Northwest to operate their own landscape architecture company. During their 40 years in business, they designed more than 200 projects in the Northwest, including at their own residence, Gaiety Hollow, and at the Deepwood Estate in Salem (now the Deepwood Museum & Gardens).
Sources: Collection materials; "Lord & Schryver Landscape Architects" by Ruth Roberts, Oregon Encyclopedia,
The Lord & Schryver Conservancy is a nonprofit in Salem, Oregon, that was established in 2005 to preserve and steward the records and legacy of Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver, and of their landscape architecture firm. The organization purchased Lord and Schryver's home, Gaiety Hollow, in 2015, and subsequently restored the gardens. It also maintains the historic gardens of the Deepwood Estate, which were originally designed by Lord & Schryver and are now a Salem city park.
Sources: Collection materials; "Lord & Schryver Landscape Architects," by Ruth Roberts, Oregon Encyclopedia,
Collection requires specialized equipment to access. Contact library staff for assistance.
Collection was initially processed and minimally described in 2012; it was titled "Gaiety Hollow cultural landscape report, and Historic Deepwood Estate preservation project" until April 2024, when the collection guide was revised throughout to provide additional description of contents, add biographical and historical notes, and conform to current standard.
The collection consists of two reports and supporting materials, produced in 2012, that relate to landscape design at Gaiety Hollow and the Deepwood Estate in Salem, Oregon, two sites that are associated with Salem landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver. The documents in this collection are computer files in PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel formats, stored on two compact discs.
The first report, titled "Gaiety Hollow Cultural Landscape Report," was written by Laurie Matthews, Robert Melnick, Rachel Edmonds, and Christina Frank of the firm MIG, with assistance from the Lord & Schryver Conservancy. This report provides a site history of Gaiety Hollow, which was the Salem home and office of Lord and Schryver, as well as a discussion of site conditions at the time of the report, and an evaluation of the landscape. The report includes biographical information about Lord and Schryver, technical drawings, historic and contemporary photographs, and an assessment of the site's historical significance. Supporting documents include separate PDFs of two landscape plans included in the report.
The second report, titled "Historic Deepwood Estate: Preservation Project," was produced by the Lord & Schryver Conservancy. This report describes the rehabilitation of historic gardens at the Deepwood Estate, which were designed by Lord & Schryver. The report includes descriptions of each project, photographs, landscape plans, lists of plants installed during rehabilitation, historical and technical documentation, financial information, and a bibliography. Accompanying materials consist of a Word document with a correction to the report, and two spreadsheets, one organized by date and one by plant, that list the installation of historic plantings in the gardens from 1931-1959.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.