William Whetten Renwick: Creative Extraordinaire

In the early twentieth century, when Joseph P. Day established Pleasant Days, the Short Hills estate that would one day become Greenwood Gardens, he assembled a circle of distinguished professionals to design both the residence and its surrounding gardens. At the center of this endeavor was his close friend and neighbor, William Whetten Renwick, whose own family home, “Vine Clad,” served as inspiration.

William Whetten Renwick (1864–1933) was a man of many artistic gifts: an architect, sculptor, painter, and garden designer. He studied sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was affiliated with the American Institute of Architects, the National Sculpture Society, and the Salmagundi Club.

His family’s presence in Short Hills was deeply rooted. His father, Edward Sabine Renwick, an engineer and patent attorney, made his home there, as did William’s brother, Edward Brevoort Renwick, whose own estate, Brooklawn, was celebrated for its gardens. William was the nephew of the noted Gothic Revival architect James Renwick, Jr., designer of such notable New York City landmarks as St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Smithsonian Institution, and Grace Church. William apprenticed in his uncle’s New York City firm, contributing architectural and decorative work before eventually becoming partner and then successor to the practice, which focused largely on ecclesiastical commissions.

Renwick at work in the gardens of Pleasant Days

Around 1912, Renwick began drafting plans for the Day estate, collaborating with fellow artists, craftspeople, and engineers to create the Mediterranean-style mansion and its interiors. Beyond the main house, he designed or remodeled several estate buildings in a cohesive style, including the elaborate carriage house with dovecote as well as the service buildings, tennis pavilion, and various cottages.

Renwick’s bas-relief portrait of Pauline Day in a Field of White Iris, circa 1924

The designer of the gardens is also presumed to be Renwick, as some of the architectural elements, particularly the pergolas, terraces, and Cascade, closely resemble those found at his own residence. The distinctive Summerhouse and Teahouse, the grottoes, the wisteria-draped grape arbors, the croquet lawn, and the ornamental sculptures and fresco panels were designed by Renwick. While it is possible that a landscape architect or engineer collaborated on aspects of the garden’s overall plan, the design evolved gradually over a decade, guided by Renwick’s artistic eye.

Renwick’s Teahouse, circa 1920s

Following his retirement, William Renwick established Renwick Studios in Short Hills, where he continued to design homes and gardens, and create sculptural works. A frequent traveler to Italy and France, he was also a passionate gardener who found beauty not only in design, but in the cultivation of living landscapes.

Image at the top: The Day mansion and gardens circa 1920s