This month a new exhibition will open on the second floor of the Main House focusing on the landscape architecture firm Innocenti – Webel. Planting Fields acquired the archival collection from the prolific firm in 2022, and this is the first time a selection of works will be displayed. The focus is on the Coe family, specifically William Rogers and Robert Coe, who commissioned several projects in France, Long Island, and Florida. Legacy of Landscape only scratches the surface of Umberto Innocenti and Richard Webel’s oeuvre, which includes Gold Coast estates of the 1930s, corporate landscapes, and public gardens—nevertheless, it is a window into their site-specific approach to design.
William Rogers Coe at Meadowspring, c. 1950.
Innocenti – Webel designed both landscapes for William Rogers Coe’s residences: Meadowspring in Glen Cove (1938-1955) and Rockledge in Mill Neck (1955-1968) on Long Island. Meadowspring is classic Umberto Innocenti—improvisatory choices resulting in a careful layering of plants. Rockledge is built into the slope of the land, and the landscape incorporates azaleas and rhododendrons into the existing woodland.
William Rogers Coe at Rockledge, c. 1955.
William Rogers employed the firm again for his house at Hobe Sound on Jupiter Island, Florida. Webel’s wife, Janet Darling Webel (who started the associated firm of Darling & Webel) took the lead in designing the residential landscape.
William Rogers Coe at his Hobe Sound residence, c. 1963.
After serving as Ambassador of Denmark, Robert Coe built a modern French country house into a steep hillside overlooking Cannes, France. Initially, the landscape layout by Innocenti – Webel featured pronounced, strong angles. Over the course of the design process at Cannes, the complex geometric terraces and pools were simplified, resulting in a landscape that more resembled traditional villa gardens of the region.
Robert Coe painting the landscape at Cannes, c. 1960.
Join us in celebrating the opening of Legacy of Landscape: Innocenti – Webel’s Designs for the Coes!
June 20, 2025 | 6 – 8:30pm | Free, registration required. Register here!
Header image: sketch of Robert Coe’s Cannes estate, c. 1957
– From Marie Penny, Michael D. Coe Archivist