Atalaya is a large Spanish Revival building, built in 1931-33, without architectural drawings, but with clear design ideas imparted by Archer Huntington, who was a scholar of Spanish arts. Its styling is reminiscent of Moorish architecture found in coastal Spain. Roughly square in shape, it has about thirty rooms, most notably a large studio space in the southeast that was one of Anna Huntington's workspaces. The property was used by the Huntingtons as their winter quarters until about 1947, and was leased by Anna to the state in 1960 for use as a state park.
Brookgreen Gardens sculpture garden
Brookgreen Gardens is a large nature preserve, established by the Huntingtons in 1931 as a place to showcase not just Anna's art, but that of other contemporary sculptors. The sculpture garden takes up about of the property, and is the only portion included in the landmark designation. It was the first public sculpture garden established in the United States, and is probably its largest. Its permanent collection includes numerous pieces by Huntington, and contemporaries who were working between about 1890 and 1940. The buildings of the garden include a studio in which Anna Huntington worked.
Significance
Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens are the only major site reflective of the full range of Anna Hyatt Huntington's work and philanthropy. Although she had other studio spaces where she worked, those at Brookgreen and Atalaya are the only ones that survive. Anna Hyatt Huntington began selling sculptures in partnership with her sister in 1895, and had received numerous national and international awards for her work by the time she married industrialist and philanthropist Archer Huntington in 1923. Her work, mainly realistic depictions of animals, was in marked contrast to contemporary female sculptors, who tended to produce human representations. She came down with tuberculosis in the 1920s, and the South Carolina estate was developed as a natural retreat. Anna's contributions to the construction of Atalaya and Brookgreen include the fabrication of wrought iron hardware, include Brookgreen's gates. She was responsible for laying out and directing the landscaping of the sculpture garden.
