Gardens of Guilford

Tucked in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood, the Gardens of Guilford is a 1922 condominium building, designed by the architect Clyde Friz, who also designed the Tuscany and Lombardy apartments, as well as other buildings in the area. It was originally known as Campagnia.

In 1922, Friz designed his third group of apartments, also in an Italian Renaissance style, the present day Gardens of Guilford, to harmonize with The Tuscany-Lombardy buildings. A 1922 article states the architect’s intention to unify all three buildings and stated, “when completed the entire group, which will occupy a tract containing about five acres of land, will be encircling (sic) by a garden wall, insuring privacy and completing the Italian garden effect, which is the dominating feature of the design.” Although the wall was never realized, the “Italian garden effect” was splendidly achieved.

The Gardens of Guilford were originally named The Campagnia by architect Clyde N Friz who designed and built the apartments in a distinctly Mediterranean appearance and style.  They were situated in a secluded, almost hidden enclave of the neighborhood.  They were designed to complement the neighboring Italian Renaissance-style buildings, The Tuscany(1918) and the Lombardy (1915) also designed and built by Clyde Friz.

This is an early rendition of The Campagnia apartments as they appeared in The Architectural Record of  February 1922, pp. 160-162.

While the name did not remain, many features indeed do remain.

Gardens of Guilford 1981

The buildings changed their names several times during the past century.  They were renamed, the Garden Apartments, then the Gardens of Guilford Apartments. In 1981 the Gardens became condominiums. During the conversion many renovations were made to the interior of the buildings including central air conditioning, but the fireplaces and beautiful exteriors remained.