History

In this section: Springside is Born : Vassar’s Retreat : Next Century : Rescue and Restore : Explore More

Explore More

About Springside
• Take the walking tour of Springside.
• Benson J. Lossing. Vassar College and Its Founder. New York: C A Alvord Printer, 1867.
• Harvey K. Flad. “Matthew Vassar’s Springside: ‘. . . the hand of Art, when guided by Taste,’” in Prophet with Honor: The Career of Andrew Jackson Downing, 1815-1852. Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 1989: 219-57.
• Robert M. Toole, “Springside: A. J. Downing’s Only Extant Garden,” Journal of Garden History 9.1 (1989): 20-39.
About Downing
• Harvey K. Flad. Prophet with Honor: The Career of Andrew Jackson Downing, 1815-1852. Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 1989.
• David Schuyler. Apostle of Taste: Andrew Jackson Downing, 1815-1852. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.
• Judith K. Major. To Live in the New World: A. J. Downing and American Landscape Gardening. Cambridge, Mass., and London: The MIT Press, 1997.

About Vaux
Calvert Vaux, Downing’s associate at the time Vassar commissioned Springside, is the subject of two recent books, both of which mention Vaux’s involvement with Springside’s design.
• Francis R. Kowsky. Country, Park, and City: The Architecture and Life of Calvert Vaux. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• William Alex and George B. Tatum. Calvert Vaux: Architect and Planner. New York: Ink, Inc, 1994.

Acknowledgements
The board members who authored this website borrowed heavily from the following people and sources:
• Harvey K. Flad and his works, “Matthew Vassar’s Springside: ‘. . . the hand of Art, when guided by Taste,’” in Prophet with Honor: The Career of Andrew Jackson Downing, 1815-1852. Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 1989: 219-57.
• Hannah Borgeson and her graduate student project, a website about Springside
• Holly Wahlberg, design historian and former board member, who compiled many Springside pictures and articles and is responsible for much of the recent material written about Springside.