John DeWolf (1850-1913)

He was born in New York City but his grandfather, Professor DeWolf, was a first cousin of the DeWolfs who lived at Linden Place and Hey Bonnie Hall in Bristol, Rhode Island. His maternal grandfather, Byron Diman, was 19th Governor of Rhode Island. He became a Topographer with the U.S. Coast and Geodectic Survey before becoming a Landscape Architect. He is perhaps best remembered for laying out the magnificent gardens at Blithewold in Bristol. He is also credited for planning a part of Prospect Park in Brooklyn and the parks in the Bronx. In 1899, he was appointed Superintendent of Parks at Bristol, a position he held until his death. He died unmarried at the DeWolf Farm, the home of his notable brother-in-law, Nathanael G. Herreshoff.