Community
Community
Public gardens have long been used as a catalyst for community development. Parks in metropolitan and rural areas provide space for outdoor activities that bring people together, promoting health and a connection with nature. Through her passion for landscape architecture, Mary Elizabeth Sharpe was able to foster a sense of community by developing public gardens and curating outdoor spaces not only at Brown, but in the larger Providence community.
In the 1940’s, Mary Elizabeth began working with Brown University to landscape the grounds, including on Wriston Quad and Pembroke Campus, where she even included azalea plants from her own cuttings from Rochambeau.
Mary Elizabeth’s beautification projects began with her own gardens at Rochambeau, which she designed along with the help of other notable women landscape architects like Irmgard B. Graham and Marian C. Coffin. After completing this project, Mary Elizabeth set her sights on Brown University, where she planned and implemented landscaping and beautification projects throughout the campus, such as the planting of flowers on Pembroke Campus and of trees on the Main Green and Wriston Quad. These outdoor spaces at Brown provide the setting for social gatherings, competitive games, protests, and a number of other community activities, becoming an integral part of campus life.
Next on Mary Elizabeth’s list was a scrap metal yard by the river at the edge of the Fox Point neighborhood. She envisioned this space as a public park, providing a much needed green space for the community and access to the water to cool off during hot summer months. Mary Elizabeth’s fundraising and research efforts led to the creation of India Point Park in 1974.
A contemporary view of India Point Park
Even beyond her death, Mary Elizabeth continued to help her local communities. When she passed in 1985, Rochambeau House was gifted to the Brown Community as a center for French and Hispanic studies, providing a unique opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to learn and work in a French château-style setting. Students have studied the house and its history, and staff have made significant contributions to the preservation of this property. The legacy of Mary Elizabeth Sharpe has indeed succeeded in creating a sense of place.