by Ivy Orlando

UMN Landscape Architecture student and NAA student staff, Ivy Orlando shares their discoveries at the Northwest Architectural Archives.

Much of what thrills me about working at the archives are the mysteries found within its caverns, some that are uncovered through vast knowledge, and some where the gaps in knowledge become the mystery itself. Within the landscape architects Morell and Nichols’ collection, secrets are seemingly around every corner.

One such case is a private residence that stunned me with its beautiful, expansive work – a large estate for R.M. Bennett, ESQ on Lake Minnetonka. When you have Esquire after your name, the number of drawings in your folder tends to increase (Bennett has four folders worth!).

The significant design scope created exclusively for Bennett in 1914 and 15 equals of is greater than the sets of plans and images that I would typically see for a campus plan or public works project. Custom urns, benches, multiple fountains, tennis courts, terraces, the list goes on.

Through these drawings, we can peek behind the curtain and see how life looked for the 1910s upper class at Lake Minnetonka, showcasing the wealth and status of the time. The great mystery of history, so to speak, is how previous generations from a variety of backgrounds lived, and in this case, the drawings show how a lifestyle so foreign to my experiences can be so geographically close.

Overlapping NAA Collections

For example, Armour Co. was one of five leading firms in the meat packing business throughout the 19th and 20th century. So, imagine my surprise when I opened the folders labeled “Armour Co.” and found mention of Armour Golf Course.

I soon discovered that Armour Co. owned 800 acres on the west side of the city. Some of this area, which was originally acquired as a possible site for the plant, became the Sunset Memorial Park on St. Anthony Blvd. in Minneapolis, Hillside Cemetery and Francis A. Gross Golf Course that we know today. Sunset Memorial Park was one of the largest cemetery plans ever created by Morell and Nichols and can be visited today.

Archives take us on journeys into the past often revealing surprising connections. History matters, and to me, the little pieces of history that exist in our own backyard can sometimes be the most interesting—from Lake Minnetonka estates to cemeteries that at first glance look like secret meat-packing schemes.

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Author bio

Ivy Ann Forrest Orlando is a Landscape Architecture student at the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities. Expected to graduate in Spring 2027 with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Sustainability Studies minor, Ivy started working at the Northwest Architectural Archives in February 2024, and has worked on various collections within the caverns, including Significant Architects series from the Minneapolis Plan Vault collection, and currently, Morrell and Nichols. They believe studying the past helps us understand the present and guide the future and hopes to continue work at the intersection of ecology, design and public history throughout their career.