A. Donald Gray [Albert Donald Gray] (1891-1939), was a prominent landscape architect, designer, and gardening expert. He operated a profitable landscaping business in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1920-1939. Gray was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Gray went on to study at Harvard University and later studied under nationally-known landscape architect, Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr., in the Olmsted Bros. firm in Brookline, Massachusetts. After coming to Cleveland in 1920, Gray soon became the landscape architect of choice for many of Cleveland's most prominent families, including, William S. Halle, Mrs. Leonard C. Hanna, Edwin C. Higbee, Crispen Oglebay, John Sherwin, and the Van Sweringen brothers. In Columbus, Ohio, Gray designed gardens for Simon, Fred, and Robert Lazarus. In 1931, Gray designed landscaping for the homes along Fairhill Road in Cleveland, where he also lived for several years. During The Depression, Gray became involved with work on Works Progress Administration (WPA)-funded projects, including: the Cedar-Center apartments (the nation's first federal public housing projects) and Forest Hill Park. He also designed the chain of Cleveland's Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park, and was closely involved with the construction of Cleveland's Metro Parks system. On Jan. 11, 1928, Donald Gray married Florence Ball, daughter of Webb C. Ball, the owner of the Webb C. Ball Jewelry Co. They had one daughter, Virginia, who was born in 1931. The height of Donald Gray's career came in 1936 and 1937, when he designed the WPA-funded Horticultural Gardens for Cleveland's Great Lakes Exposition, when Cleveland celebrated 100 years of incorporation as a city. In 1993, these gardens now known as the A. Donald Gray Memorial Gardens constitute the only remaining part of the exposition on a site north of Cleveland Stadium. During the 1930s, Gray, along with a group of civic-minded citizens, worked on preserving Dunham Tavern from destruction. Located at 6709 Euclid Avenue, Dunham Tavern, built in 1842, was Cleveland's oldest building that remained in its original state. Gray wrote gardening advice columns for The Cleveland Press, Akron Times-Press, and Youngstown Vindicator; as well as articles for several gardening magazines. At the age of 48, A. Donald Gray suffered a sudden, massive heart attack and died on Tuesday morning, May 30, 1939.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for A. Donald Gray
The A. Donald Gray Papers, 1917-1943 and undated, consist of personal papers and business correspondence, bills, receipts, landscape plans and blueprints, and newspaper clippings.
This collection is of particular value to researchers studying architecture, landscaping, gardening, city planning and beautification, parks, noted Cleveland estates, as well as public and federal housing projects. Of greatest value and interest are Gray's files relating to the Great Lakes Exposition, the preservation of Dunham Tavern, his landscape designs for Cleveland's Cedar-Center apartments, Forest Hill Park, the Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park, and Fairhill Road. Directed toward the frustrated, weekend gardener, Gray's gardening advice columns provide insight into gardening tastes and techniques during the 1920s and 1930s.
The collection is arranged in two series.
The researcher should also consult PG 458 A. Donald Gray Photographs; and PG 113 A. Donald Gray Landscape Photographs.
Processed by Philip Harbison in 1993.
None.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3470 A. Donald Gray Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Blueprints, Mrs. Charles Hagerman, ca. 1965-1975.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.