About Us

Springside Landscape Restoration

Springside Landscape Restoration (SLR) was organized to acquire, protect, and restore Andrew Jackson Downing’s historic landscape. Formed in 1984 as the result of a compromise agreement between a developer who wanted to build condominiums on the site and preservations who fought to protect it, SLR was officially established in 1986. It was deeded the property in 1990.
The organization’s preservation efforts are guided by a management and maintenance plan, the Springside National Historic Landmark Master Plan, 1989 and a subsequent update. The latter focuses on short-term and on-going management actions that local volunteers can undertake to stabilize the site, prevent further destruction, and safeguard its essential surviving features. Key accomplishments to date include:

Saving the National Historic Landmark site from development
Clearing nearly 20 acres of substantial secondary growth that had overtaken the former open spaces of Downing’s plan
Doing remedial work on the Gatehouse (the one original structure that remains on site)
Developing interpretive documentation and signage to assist visitors
Conducting discrete archaeological investigations to determine location of carriageway alignment and underground water conveyance systems.
Documenting a detailed design of the Vassar residence
Getting Springside designated a link in the Greenway Trail system

Board of Directors for Springside Landscape Restoration