Then & Now: A look at Foote’s Pond Wood nearly two decades later

Then & Now: A Look at Foote’s Pond Wood Nearly Two Decades Later

Back in 1999, PLANT Architect was commissioned to redesign a 14-acre natural public park in Morristown, New Jersey to reconnect the community with a historically rich plot of land, and provide a new link to an adjacent elementary school, synagogue, and Jesuit retreat. The program involved rehabilitating the site for educational and contemplative uses — without disturbing the essence of the place. The site is covered with an 80-year-old woodlot and has a three-acre pond at one end.

Last week, Chris Pommer and Lisa Rapoport returned to Morristown to visit the site and see how it had changed over the past 15 years. The results were delightful: the natural spirituality of the forest, wetland, and pond have been revealed; the marsh grasses, lichens, and trees have grown around the teaching dock, fireplace, and bridge — each of which has aged beautifully, becoming “one” with the landscape.

To learn more about this project and to see other examples of our landscape and ecological projects, click here.