Japanese Garden at Bellarmine Hall

Early 20th Century Images of the Garden

The Japanese Garden at Bellarmine Hall was designed in 1926 by Arthur Asahel Shurcliff for the Walter B. Lasher family. The Lashers had built their home, "Hearthstone Hall" in 1926, and hired Shurcliff to design this garden as well as the formal gardens surrounding the house. Photographs from the period, and the original plans show the Japanese Garden complete with three bridges, water flowing from pool to pool on stone runways, paths with lanterns and statues and, at the extreme west end of the garden, a replica of Mt. Fujiyama which was able to let off smoke through a chimney in the peak.

Contemporary Images of the Garden

Watercolor Designs for the Formal Gardens at Bellarmine Hall by Arthur A. Shurcliff

Biographical information on the landscape architect, Arthur A. Shurcliff

Original Garden Plan with Annotations of Original Japanese Elements (Japanese PDF1) created by Vincent M. Appel

Original Garden Plan with Annotations of Missing Elements to the Garden (Japanese PDF2) created by Vincent M. Appel.

Additional early images of the garden in the Fairfield University DARCroom (Digital Archives at DiMenna-Nyselius Library)