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A black and white photograph of a closeup of ferns.

90 Years of Morris: John & Lydia

Courtesy of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens Archives
A black and white photograph of a man and women near the edge of a pond looking at two swans.
John and Lydia Morris on the Love Temple steps in the Swan Pond, circa 1910. The Swan Pond was constructed circa 1904, while the Love Temple was designed by Ernesto Ermete Gazzeri of Rome, Italy, and installed in 1906.

We're kicking off #90YearsofMorris with the siblings that started it all: John Thompson Morris (1847-1915) and Lydia

Thompson Morris (1849-1932). Morris Arboretum & Gardens began as Compton, the private estate of the siblings who purchased farmland in 1887 and began planning a garden where art and science would thrive together, and where stewardship would extend to caring for both plants and people.

From the beginning, John and Lydia shared a vision and actively planned for their estate to become a public garden and educational institution. In 1933, after both siblings had passed, the Morris opened to the public for the first time and their vision came to life.

In this series we'll be focusing on what followed the 1933 public opening. You can learn more about the Morrises and the Private Estate Era in our online archives, and in Joyce Munro's article, "The Origins of Morris Arboretum & The Mansion From Which It Bloomed."

As part of our 90th anniversary celebration, we’ll be sharing bits of our history every week on social media—follow #90yearsofMorris to get a glimpse into our past with historic photos, documents, blog posts, and more!