mshm285 Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit Records, 1933-1975 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by . Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections

South Hadley, MA

Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Ralitsa Donkova. 2005-04-20 Finding aid written in English 2005-09-23 mshm285 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit Records, 1933-1975 Finding Aid MS 0662

Collection Overview Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit Records 1933-1975 MS 0662 LD 7094.68 2 boxes (0.83 linear ft.) Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit; Boston, Massachusetts landscape architects. Founded by Arthur Asahel Shurcliff (1870-1957) with his son, Sidney Nichols Shurcliff (b.1906). Later partners were Vincent N. Merrill, and Douglas B. Footit. Records contain correspondence, architectural drawings and plans, aerial photographs, cost estimates, bills, receipts, lists, and memoranda reflecting the firm's work at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts from 1933-1975. English. Historical Note

Arthur Asahel Shurclif (1870-1957) graduated with high honors from both Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1894 and Harvard University in 1896. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Olmsted firm to train under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted. In 1900, Shurcliff aided Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. in the founding of what was to become the Harvard School of Landscape Architecture, the first such institution in the western hemisphere. In 1905, Shurcliff established his own business and hired several technical assistants. His son, Sidney Nichols Shurcliff (born in 1906) joined the firm in 1930 and became head of the business in 1950. Other partners were Vincent N. Merrill and Douglas B. Footit. The firm, which became widely known and in great demand by both private and public clients throughout New England and New York, designed the grounds of estates, hospitals, and private schools and colleges as well as parks, parkways, cemeteries, and subdivisions. Mount Holyoke College and Amherst College were major clients; other clients included the Boston Park Department and the Metropolitan Parks Commission.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit records consist of correspondence, architectural drawings and plans, aerial photographs, cost estimates, bills, receipts, lists, and memoranda relating to the firm's work at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts between 1933-1975. The records contain correspondence exchanged by Arthur Asahel Shurcliff, Sidney Nichols Shurcliff, Vincent N. Merrill, Douglass B. Footit and various administrators at Mount Holyoke, including President Roswell Gray Ham. Topics discussed in the records include garden restorations, parking area plans, campus beautification and building renovation projects, directional signs, and landscape plantings.

Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

Unrestricted.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit Records, Mount Holyoke College, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA

Search Terms Shurcliff, Arthur Asahel, 1870- Shurcliff, Sidney Nichols, 1906- Shurcliff, Merrill and Footit(Boston, Mass.) Landscape design--Massachusetts--South Hadley. Landscape architects--Massachusetts Boston. Colleges--Landscape architecture-- Massachusetts--South Hadley. Campus planning--Massachusetts--South Hadley. Mount Holyoke--College Buildings. Mount Holyoke College-- Administration. Mount Holyoke College-- Campus. Mount Holyoke College-- Planning. Letters. Receipts. Invoices. Drafts (Negotiable instruments). Architectural drawings. Photographs. Shurcliff, Arthur Asahel, 1870- Shurcliff, Sidney Nichols, 1906- Merrill, Vincent N. Footit, Douglas B. Ham, Roswell Gray, 1891-1983.