Thursday, June 20
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
RSVP REQUIRED – See Below
Join us at the Library for the Mark Twain Library Association’s 116th Annual Meeting, featuring a fascinating lecture on one of America’s finest gardens, followed by a champagne reception.
The Rise, Fall & Rebirth of Untermyer Gardens
The keynote speaker at Mark Twain Library Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting will be Stephen F. Byrns, president of Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, a 43-acre oasis of exceptional horticulture, architecture and design on the Hudson River.
Created in 1917 on the estate of prominent lawyer and civic leader Samuel Untermyer, the garden once sprawled over 150 acres and was maintained by 60 gardeners. Eventually, the garden fell into a state of disrepair, but in 2011 Byrns spearheaded an effort to conserve the garden, and it has since undergone a significant and stunning revival. Today, many of the garden’s features have been restored, drawing thousands of visitors every year.
The Walled Garden of Untermyer is considered the finest Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere. It is based on the Garden of Eden, which is a concept shared in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This space not only reflects Untermyer’s career as an American Jewish progressive leader, but also the many multi-cultural aspects of the garden. Perhaps the most monumental feature of the garden is the Vista, featuring Roman columns and a Temple of Love with five waterfalls.
Champagne Reception on the Loggia immediately following the program
All are welcome — Friends of the Library and the general public who plan to attend should please RSVP to Sandi O’Reilly at sandi@marktwainlibrary.org.
About Our Speaker
Stephen F. Byrns, founded the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in 2011 and is its president. A graduate of Princeton and Columbia Universities, Byrns was a founding partner of BKSK Architects, an architectural firm in New York City that was established in 1985.
Byrns was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to serve as a Landmarks Preservation Commissioner on New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission from 2004-10. For 10 years, he also served on the Board of Wave Hill, a public garden and cultural center in the Bronx.
While living in Yonkers during the 1990s, Byrns discovered Untermyer Park and Gardens. He revisited in 2010 when told that the fountains had been turned on after decades of disuse. The more Byrns learned about Samuel Untermyer’s garden, the more he became convinced that a conservancy should be established to work with the City of Yonkers and make it once again one of the greatest gardens in America.
A Board of Directors was established, and Marco Polo Stufano, the retired founding Director of Horticulture at Wave Hill, was engaged to be the Conservancy’s horticultural advisor. In 2011, sufficient funds were raised to hire Timothy Tilghman to be its first horticulturist, and today there is a staff of 10 horticulturists at the garden. Byrns started full-time work at the Conservancy in early 2016.
Recognition of the Conservancy’s efforts has been swift and widespread, with significant coverage from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart Living, Elle Decor and other publications. National awards have also been presented from the Garden Club of America, the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art, Foundation for Landscape Studies and the Victorian Society of America.