“TRAILBLAZERS AND TRENDSETTERS”: Villa Lewaro, home of the country’s first self-made female Black millionaire, is among the “Grand Homes and Gardens” being explored at Morven starting February 22.

By Anne Levin

For this year’s “Grand Homes and Gardens” speaker series, Morven Museum & Garden is venturing into some new territory — literally and figuratively. “Trailblazers and Trendsetters” takes participants beyond the usual palatial mansions and landscapes to some previously unexplored locations, styles, and time periods.

“This year is a little bit of a departure in that we’ve been focusing on Gilded Age homes a great deal,” said Morven Executive Director Jill Barry of the upcoming series, which begins February 22 and continues March 1, 8, and 15. “By throwing in Manitoga, which is from the 1960s, and Bartram’s Garden, from the 1700s and older than the places we usually feature, we’re pushing the borders on both ends.”

Located in Garrison, N.Y., Manitoga was the home of mid-century designer Russel Wright. On February 22, Vivian Linares, Manitoga’s director of collections, interpretation, and preservation, will speak about the property, which “stands alone as an iconic and idiosyncratic example of eco-sensitive modernist architecture,” according to a release. “The home’s 75-acre woodland garden, a reclaimed quarry restored to its ‘natural setting,’ is a key illustration of the ecological aesthetic in landscape architecture.”

The Italianate Villa Lewaro in Irvington, New York, was the home of Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first self-made female millionaire. Walker, a cosmetics and business pioneer, is the subject of a talk by her great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles, author of the book On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, on March 1. Bundles will bring along copies of her book for signing. Villa Lewaro was designed by architect Vertner Woodson Tandy in 1918 for Walker, who entertained notable leaders of the Harlem Renaissance at the estate.

“She was the first self-made woman millionaire, and she was African American. She was a force to be reckoned with,” said Barry. “Netflix has her story on right now [Self Made starring Octavia Spencer]. She hired a Black architect to design her house, so she was promoting others. She was very much a trailblazing trendsetter.”

Next on March 8 is “Beauport: Expect the Unexpected,” which explores the home of interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper. “Sleeper salvaged different architecture from other buildings and incorporated them into this house,” said Barry. “He used it as a showroom. He was gay, and it was very unusual at the time for an ‘out’ man to be accepted into society. It helped that he came from a prominent family.”

Located in Gloucester, Mass., the home was built in 1907 on a rock ledge overlooking Gloucester harbor. It is known today as Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House. Sleeper’s clients included the Duponts, actress Joan Crawford, and art collector/philanthropist Isabella Stewart Gardner.

“What was interesting about Beauport was that people recognized it for how unusual it was,” Barry said. “So after Sleeper died, the next people to own it, the McCann family, were told by the Duponts of Winterthur, ‘Don’t touch a thing!’ They kept it as it was, and it is uniquely preserved today.”

The final program on March 15 focuses on Bartram’s Garden, America’s oldest surviving botanic garden. Aseel Rasheed, Bartram’s Garden’s public programs director, will speak about the 14-acre expanse in South Philadelphia, which was established by the father of American botany, John Bartram. It is home to a collection of plant species collected, grown, and studied by the Bartram family from 1728 to 1850.

“Today, the site provides communal space and sustainable farming opportunities for its surrounding neighborhoods,” reads the release from Morven. “This talk will explore the history of the Bartram family, the home, and the gardens while also taking the story up to the present day and the site’s groundbreaking role as a space serving the community.”

All of the programs, which begin at 6:30 p.m., will be offered in a hybrid format. The Beauport talk will be presented virtually and livestreamed for an in-person viewing party and virtual audience alike. Those who attend in person get light refreshments inspired by each site; online participants receive recipes to make the drinks (cocktails and mocktails) at home. Tickets are $90 for the series, or $30 for individual talks in person; $70 and $20 virtually.

“It was about 50-50 last year, but we’re probably going to have more people coming in person this year,” said Barry. “It’s a lot of fun, so I think they will be glad they did.”

Morven is at 55 Stockton Street. Visit morven.org for tickets and information.