Alexander Jackson Davis Symposium

Symposium: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025, 10 am to 6 pm.

Morning tour begins at 9am. Separate ticket required.

This year, Lyndhurst curates a special exhibit exploring the life and work of the architect who designed the influential Gothic Revival-style mansion. Alexander Jackson Davis: Designer of Dreams will open to the public on the 23^rd of May and run through September 23rd, 2025. This exhibition will explore Davis’s career as an architect and designer through his commission and building of Lyndhurst, his extant Gothic revival masterpiece. It will also explore other residences in the region and will reunite Davis’s archive with his fully realized designs. This exhibit will be comprised of rarely seen paintings, drawings, and furniture.

In honor of this exhibition, our Davis Symposium on June 22nd will explore Alexander Jackson Davis’s work and his influential style. The Symposium will consist of a full day of talks on topics surrounding Alexander Jackson Davis, including who he was and how his work impacted architecture, decorative arts, and landscapes, including Lyndhurst, which was one of his most important architectural achievements.

Speakers:

Howard Zar, Executive Director of Lyndhurst.
David Scott Parker, FAIA & Trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Kerry Dean Carso, Professor of Art History at SUNY New Paltz
Steven Baltsas, Historian, Curator, and Winterthur Graduate
Emma Gencarelli, Collections & Curatorial Coordinator at Lyndhurst
Benjamin Prosky, President of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation

Schedule:
9:00 am: Early tour of the mansion with the Executive Director, focusing on special Davis pieces being exhibited. A separate ticket will be required for this tour.

10:30 am: Alexander Jackson Davis, an Overview; Howard Zar, Lyndhurst Executive Director.
Who was Alexander Jackson Davis, and how did an artist and amateur theatrical performer become America’s first great architect?  How did someone who never left the United States become a major proponent of a European architectural style?  This will explore Davis’s trajectory and examine his place as a tastemaker in a new country looking for an identity.

11:15 am: Alexander Jackson Davis and the Literary Context of the Gothic Revival; Kerry Dean Carso, Professor of Art History, SUNY New Paltz.
While his buildings were supposed to express an erudition reminiscent of medieval European universities and cathedrals, Davis’s Gothic Revival castles drew from popular literature and theater. Carso explores Davis’s influence on popular Romantic authors and painters.

12:00 pm: The Furniture Designs of Alexander Jackson Davis; David Scott Parker.
Davis designed furniture for many of his architectural commissions and publications produced by his collaborator, Andrew Jackson Downing.  The exhibition includes many pieces of furniture from private collections, and this lecture explores the complicated nature of attributing furniture to Davis’s hand.

12:45 pm: Included Lunch & Tour of the Exhibition Gallery.

2:15 pm: From “Country Mansion in Pointed Style” to Gothic Revival Masterpiece: The Evolution of Lyndhurst; Emma Gencarelli, Assistant Curator, Lyndhurst.
Lyndhurst as seen today reflects two major inflection points in the career of Alexander Jackson Davis.  The original mansion, half the current size, was designed by Davis between 1838 and 1842 as his first fully realized Gothic Revival edifice.  From 1864 to 1867, when the second owners asked Davis to return and expand the original house, it was essentially Davis’s last major commission.   This talk explores Davis’s evolution through his architectural masterpiece.

3:30 pm: Davis, Downing and Gothic Intimacy; Steven Baltsas.
In addition to being an architect, furniture designer, and landscaper, Alexander Jackson Davis wanted to be a major influencer of American taste.  However, his florid writing style failed to find an audience.  Davis’s collaborator, Andrew Jackson Downing, was a popular writer and landscape architect whose many publications found wide appeal.  By providing the designs for his publications, Downing was responsible for popularizing Davis’s architecture. This talk explores the relationship between these two leading figures of American architecture and landscape.

4:45 pm: Closing remarks: Ben Prosky, President of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation.

5:00 pm: Reception.

Your ticket includes lectures, exhibition gallery access, lunch, and a closing reception with drinks and light bites. Tickets for the 9 am tour must be bought separately to attend.
General Symposium Ticket: $50 + service fees
Morning Tour Ticket: $26 + service fees

Important Information, Please Read:

Please be advised that the mansion tour requires periods of walking, standing, and flights of stairs. 

A limited number of tickets are available for each event, and events do sell out. 

Tickets may be available for purchase on-site, but these are not guaranteed. 

Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of your tour. 

Check-in at the Welcome Center.

All ticket purchases are non-refundable.

A Grounds Pass is not needed if you already have a Tour or Event Ticket. 

Not recommended for children under 12 years of age.

To best accommodate groups, including special needs, please contact us in advance to make reservations at 914-303-6844. 

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