Ralph Hartman Papers (Mss. Gr. 25)

Biographical Information

Born in Trenton, Ohio, in 1920, Ralph served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a naval aviation instructor, and came to Rhode Island to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture.

Ralph was Superintendent of the Providence Parks Department from 1961 to 1976. During his service to the City of Providence, he was instrumental in restoring Roger Williams Park to its rightful place as one of the great municipal parks of the United States.

He encouraged Mrs. Henry D. Sharpe to establish a fund to improve areas in the Park such as the Japanese Garden, and the Betsy Williams Cottage. The fund was expanded to start a tree planting program for the streets of Providence which continues today.

He conceived of an idea to support the Zoo financially and joined with Mrs. Murray Danforth, Jr. to form the Rhode Island Zoological Society for the purpose of improving and giving guidance to the Zoo at Roger Williams Park.During his tenure, the Zoo changed from a system of cages with animals, to animals living in a more humane setting of landscaped areas with moats, ponds, and grasslands.

He was a world traveler throughout his life. As Superintendent, he especially spent time in Japan studying Japanese Gardens for the Japanese Garden Restoration Project, and Morocco and Portugal for an exhibit of sub-tropical and desert plants in the Charles H. Smith Greenhouses. In 1976, a Bicentennial Garden in the Park was dedicated to Ralph as the Ralph Hartman Garden.

From 1976 to 2006, he was a freelance landscape architect designing many gardens in New England, New York and as far West as Chicago. He had many distinguished clients throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Ralph Hartman passed away on March 16, 2011.