"Scholars of Long Island’s leading significance in American residential architecture will be very pleased with this important new contribution to regional housing history. . . . [E]xcellent work from the authors of this volume . . . . [T]he material is fresh, compact, interesting, and fills a significantly large gap in our understanding of how Long Island’s real estate projects ... Read moreof the early 20th century laid a mighty foundation for the rise of the post-World War II suburbs."
Long Island History Journal "[A] beautifully descriptive book . . . Gardens of Eden is a page turner for the history buff, filled with classical pictures of the storied homes Long Island is known for."
Long Island Weekly "[D]eserves ongoing mention as a top local reference gathering the work of architectural historians and local historians . . . . From museum developments and how properties were marked and divided to the early evolution of Long Island’s real estate community, Gardens of Eden packs in historical and social analysis in a presentation filled with social, political, economic, and architectural insights on choices made and their rationale. The result is a solid survey that’s highly recommended for any collection strong in New York state history."
Midwest Book Review: California Bookwatch "[C]ompiled chapter by chapter by knowledgeable historians, an endeavor eight years in the making. . . Gardens of Eden is an interesting read for Port Washington residents and all Long Islanders."
Port Washington News "Gardens of Eden makes a major contribution to our understanding of the development of residential architecture and community in America. The unique geography of Long Island, with its transit links to New York City, resulted in the creation of a series of extraordinary planned communities where developers, architects, and affluent home owners created a vision of American life in the country that would be closely linked with the city. We owe a great debt to the developers who planned these major garden communities, to the authors in this book who comprehensively analyze these communities, and to the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities for publishing this handsome volume."
Andrew Scott Dolkart, Professor of Historic Preservation, Director of the Historic Preservation Program, Columbia University School of Architecture "For residents of metropolitan New York, Gardens of Eden provides the first detailed look at a key component of the area’s development, one that has had a profound and enduring effect on the landscape. For scholars of American urbanism, this book is an important case study that reveals the great extent of planned residential communities of the early twentieth century. Far from being rare exceptions, they represent a significant thrust in real estate endeavors that was transformative in its impact."
Richard Longstreth, Professor of American Studies, George Washington University Show Less