HORT Lecture Series:  John Henderson: Robert Marvin Believed Landscaping Was More Than Planting Azaleas

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Robert Marvin, Landscape Architect & Lowcountry Visionary

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Join us for a special lecture by John Henderson, grandson of renowned landscape architect Robert Marvin, as he shares the story of a legacy rooted in the Lowcountry. Marvin believed that landscape architecture was more than planting azaleas—it was about creating places where people could truly belong.

 

Born in Colleton County in 1920, Marvin grew up on the vast Bonnie Doone Plantation, where his love for the Lowcountry’s marshes and forests took root early. Inspired by visiting landscape architects working on the plantation, he studied horticulture at Clemson and later earned a graduate degree in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia.

 

After serving as a captain in WWII, Marvin returned home and opened his landscape architecture practice in Walterboro in 1947—far from the urban centers where most of his peers set up shop. He believed in designing spaces that let people connect deeply with nature, saying, “We need to knock the walls down and let nature in again.”

 

Guided by a deep respect for the land, Marvin poured his energy into Southern projects, including Harbor Town at Sea Pines, Henry C. Chambers Park in Beaufort, and Columbia’s Governor’s Mansion grounds and Finlay Park. Over his six-decade career, Marvin left a lasting mark on the region, earning honors from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Order of the Palmetto, and a place in the South Carolina Hall of Fame. His legacy lives on in the landscapes he shaped and the countless landscape architects he inspired. 

 

This is a powerful reflection on legacy, land, and the enduring bond between generations.

 

Monday, May 12  Welcome Reception: 5:30 PM Lecture Begins: 6:00 PM

Venue: MUSC Campus - Behavioral Science Building (next to Drug Discovery Building) - Auditorium - 70 President Street

Parking: Jonathan Lucas Parking Garage – vouchers provided for free parking

 

Free for CHS Members | $20 for Non-Members at the Door

 

Not a member? Join here today!

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