History Matters: Trailblazer Marian Coffin’s quiet influence on Delaware’s gardens and grounds

Preservation Delaware

The University of Delaware was founded, built, and attended – at least for its first 140 years – by men.

But it was Marian Coffin, one of the country’s first female landscape architects, who designed the entire look and feel of UD’s campus.

Coffin left a lasting impression on both the university and the rest of Delaware. Her landscape designs and works include the Mount Cuba Center, the gardens at Winterthur Museum, and the grounds at Gibraltar mansion.

In this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media’s Kyle McKinnon is joined by Anna Wik – associate professor of landscape architecture and board member of the nonprofit Preservation Delaware – for more on Coffin and her indelible impact on the First State.