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TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF LOUTREL W. BRIGGS (1893-1977), RENOWNED AMERICAN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, BELOVED CREATOR OF NUMEROUS CHARLESTON GARDENS, AND PRESERVER OF CHARLESTON'S HISTORIC GARDENING LEGACY.
Whereas, recognizing that few individuals have had as profound an impact on Charleston gardens and their renaissance, understanding, and appeal as did Loutrel Briggs, the South Carolina General Assembly is pleased to pay tribute to this great American landscape architect and prominent Charlestonian; and
Whereas, a native of New York and a graduate of Cornell University, Loutrel Briggs first visited Charleston in 1927 to experience firsthand the city's incomparable springtime beauty and picturesque charm. He opened a seasonal office in Charleston in 1929 and for the next three decades divided his practice between his summer office in New York and his winter office in Charleston. Thereafter, he worked entirely from his Southern home; and
Whereas, with his wife, Emily Barker of Connecticut, in 1928 Loutrel Briggs restored Charleston's 89-91 Church Street, the "Cabbage Row" stage setting for Broadway's original 1935 production of Porgy and Bess. In his adopted city, Mr. Briggs became known for his respect for, and retention of, historic gardens and streets and public institutions, as well as for his significant influence in the Greater Charleston historic preservation movement and his contributions as a city planner. His training, education, and extensive travel in New England and Europe endeared him to Charleston and increased his vision of the essential landscape architectural elements that make Charleston unique. He spent his professional and personal time working with architectural review boards and preservation groups to enhance the city's "old European" charm and ambiance; and
Whereas, Mr. Briggs completed an impressive array of private and public landscape projects, including Mepkin, McLeod, Mulberry, and Rice Hope plantations; Charleston's Gateway Walk; the William Gibbes House garden; and the South Carolina Memorial Garden. However, he is best known for his designs of many small Charleston gardens. He is credited with designing more than one hundred private gardens in Charleston's historic district alone. In these plans, Mr. Briggs drew on his remarkable sense of scale, harmony, and tradition to work wonders in limited urban spaces, in which he featured a distinctive emphasis on "outdoor rooms." Some of these gardens survive today. As a reflection of his work, Mr. Briggs, a prolific author, published the renowned and well-loved Charleston Gardens (1951); and
Whereas, today, as the General Assembly is happy to note, a renewed appreciation of the contributions Loutrel Briggs made to Charleston's landscape tradition is stirring, and many are calling for action to preserve his gardens and legacy; and
Whereas, perhaps the Honorable Joe Riley, former mayor of Charleston, put it best when he said of this esteemed landscape designer, "The remarkable artistry of Loutrel Briggs profoundly enhanced Charleston's gardens and parks and made a beautiful city even more so. His work has been captured in innumerable paintings and photographs and is carried in the minds and hearts of all who have been inspired by the spaces he created"; and
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly, themselves among Loutrel Briggs's legion of admirers, take great pleasure in saluting this master landscape artist and look forward to seeing his legacy preserved and enhanced in the years to come. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, celebrate the life and achievements of Loutrel W. Briggs (1893-1977), renowned American landscape architect, beloved creator of numerous Charleston gardens, and preserver of Charleston's historic gardening legacy.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to the present mayor of Charleston and to the Honorable Joseph P. Riley, Jr., former mayor of Charleston.
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