Annette Maxson McCrea (1858-1928)

First Woman Landscape Architect

Reputedly the first American female landscape architect, Annette Maxson McCrea, began her career in Kalamazoo. A native of Cooperstown, New York, she was born in 1858 to Levi and Cordelia Maxson. In 1875, she married J. Franklin McCrea in Rochester. Frank McCrea was a landscape gardener. his wife assisted him in perfecting his designs. He was not well, so the couple relocated frequently trying to improve his health. At some point, they moved to Kalamazoo. Many early career women began their professions in the same field as a male family member, often as a result of a death. Widowed at a young age, McCrea took over her late husband’s wholesale nursery business in 1892. As one of her first projects, she designed the grounds of Henderson Castle, the home of Frank Henderson, a prominent local businessman, on West Main hill.

Although she was not a long-term resident of Kalamazoo, she maintained contact here. Her brother, Charles A. Maxson, was a nationally known nurseryman and landscaper who got his start working for Mrs. McCrea’s husband. He established a well-known nursery business on Gull Road near Richland.

Before the end of the century, she moved to Chicago where she convinced the Lincoln Park board of directors that the organization needed a landscape architect and that they should appoint her to the position. She designed Lincoln Park, and many other parks, private gardens and civic improvement projects in the midwest, but her primary interest became beautifying the railroads. She advocated simplicity and dignity of line and coloring and the use of hardy trees, shrubs and vines  to beautify railroad stations, rather than expensive and labor intensive greenhouse plantings. At various times she served as landscape architect of the Illinois Central, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and the Chicago & North Western railroads.

Although her educational background is unknown, McCrea’s writings indicate that she received some training in her profession. She was instrumental in introducing landscape architecture into the curricula of American colleges.

She died in Minneapolis in 1928 at the home of her daughter, and is buried in Kalamazoo’s Mountain Home Cemetery beside her husband.

Written by Catherine Larson, Kalamazoo Public Library staff, May 2025.