The Estate

Designed in 1910, this garden features four geometric beds with a natural array of plantings. The garden was enclosed by walls to avoid competing with any other element in the landscape.

The four walls consisted of the grape arbor to the north, a tall rustic fence adorned with vines and shrubs along the south and east, and a brick terrace furnished with a concrete bench facing the garden to the west.

Marked by a German Shepherd statue, this is the burial site of the Halls’ pets. From 1936 to 1953, Brucemore was home to three pet lions named Leo. The marker shown in the photo commemorates Leo II.

Called the Servants’ Village, these buildings comprised the working side of the estate. The Douglases added a residential duplex in 1909 to provide housing for staff with families. Next door, the 1915 Lord & Burnham Greenhouse housed bedding plants for the garden and provided fresh flowers for the mansion during the winter.

In expanding the agricultural presence on their country estate, the Douglases built the Carriage House (which now houses staff offices) in 1911 to accommodate animals and vehicles.

The Douglases added recreational buildings, including a combined bookbindery and squash court in 1912. This building offers meeting space and collections storage today.

Completed in 1886, the mansion serves as the centerpiece on the estate. Built in the Queen Anne style, the 21-room mansion is open for scheduled tours and serves as a majestic backdrop to artistic programming.

The Peggy Boyle Whitworth Amphitheater utilizes the natural sloping lawn east of the pond for outdoor performances. It was dedicated in memory of Brucemore’s first Executive Director in 2015.

Part of the original ten acres purchased by Caroline Sinclair in 1884, the sweeping front lawn provides an elegant view of the mansion. Rows of trees planted along the drive create a graceful exit to the estate while the center area features a gently rolling lawn.

The Carriage House courtyard is often home to music and theater performances under the stars.

The Brucemore estate has a history of supporting local talent. The Artisan Studio yard serves as the venue for performances by talent working with the organization’s Artisan in Residence.

The Hall family decreased the size of the property to 26-acres by selling off a portion of the estate. The residences near the Dows Lane entrance were once part of Brucemore.
Dows Lane is a city street that ends on Brucemore property today. Buses and oversized commercial vehicles enter this way to ensure enough overhead and side clearance.

The First Avenue exit is lined with an allee of trees that provide a canopy down the driveway. This gate, like the Linden Drive gate, was added in the Douglas era to provide a similar entrance and exit for visitors to the property.

In 1907, the Douglases moved the entrance of the estate from First Avenue to Linden Drive. The Douglases had gates shipped from California and installed in 1928. The “Bowl of Plenty” on top of the pillars is a symbol of hospitality and can be found throughout the estate.

Public restrooms are housed in the rebuilt Douglas era chicken coop. The restrooms are open for public use during daytime grounds hours a majority of the year and during outdoor events.