Summer research fellowships
Students studying landscape architecture may benefit from one of our fellowships in historic landscape research. Research sites are selected by the Historic Landscape Fellowship Committee, a subcommittee of the GCV Restoration Committee.
As part of a continuing effort to build a comprehensive record of culturally significant gardens in Virginia, we offer research fellowships for graduate students working towards a master’s degree in landscape architecture (MLA) or equivalent.
We offer two fellowships, promoting the research and documentation of historic public and private Virginia gardens: The Rudy J. Favretti Fellowship was named in honor of the GCV landscape architect who served from 1978 to 1998. In 2005, the William D. Rieley Fellowship was created, named in honor of the GCV’s landscape architect from 1998 to 2021. In summer of 2026, the Rudy J. Favretti Fellowship will be offered.
Once the fellowship is completed, each fellow’s paper is published. Printed copies are held at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the headquarters of the Garden Club of Virginia, and the Cherokee Garden Research Library at the Atlanta History Center.
Since the Garden Club of Virginia began offering Fellowships in 1996, dozens of historic sites in Virginia have been researched and documented by graduate students from throughout North America.
Applications Now Being Accepted for the summer 2026 Historic Landscape Research Fellowship, “Battersea,” Petersburg, Virginia
Honor America’s 250th anniversary by researching and documenting the landscape history of a prominent Colonial-Era estate with ties to the Revolutionary War and our founding fathers in historic Petersburg, Virginia. This summer fellowship, sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia since 1996, supports the GCV’s ongoing effort to document historic and culturally significant gardens and landscapes across the commonwealth.
The selected fellow will work under the mentorship of the renowned landscape architecture firm, Nelson Byrd Woltz, and receive guidance from a distinguished panel of professionals who serve on the Garden Club of Virginia Historic Landscape Research Fellowship Committee.
2026 Rudy J. Favretti Fellowship
Research and design a conjectural reconstruction of the 18th-century formal garden at Battersea, in Petersburg, Virginia. Listed on the Virginia Landmarks and the National Register, Battersea is one of the finest examples of Palladian-style architecture in the United States.
Battersea was the home of Colonel John Banister, a member of the House of Burgesses, the Revolutionary conventions, and the Continental Congress, as well as a framer of the Articles of Confederation and the first mayor of Petersburg. Sited on a high bluff overlooking the Appomattox River, the elegant five-part house — construction began in 1768 — displays the Anglo-Palladian influence on Virginia’s colonial plantation homes. The broad terrace of the south yard of the mansion is believed to have been an extensive formal garden. Recent archaeological investigations have revealed evidence of walks and planting beds.
About the GCV Historic Landscape Research Fellowship Program: The Fellow will spend a period of three summer months living in Virginia researching the respective historic sites. The Fellow’s final report – including measured drawings – will be published as well as archived into the collection of the Garden Club of Virginia at the Kent-Valentine House, The Cherokee Library at the Atlanta History Center, and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library at Colonial Williamsburg. Digital copies are provided to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Library of Virginia. Oversight and mentoring will be provided by the Fellowship Subcommittee of the GCV Restoration Committee and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.
Qualifications: Applicants must be candidates for a master’s degree in landscape architecture, historic preservation, landscape or architectural history, archaeology, anthropology, history, or horticulture. As there is a significant amount of driving required, applicants must be licensed to drive in Virginia and have use of a personal vehicle during the term of the fellowship.
Stipend: The Fellow will be paid a stipend of $10,000 plus certain living expenses. Housing will be provided in the vicinity of the Fellow’s project site.
Deadline: Complete applications are due by noon on March 20, 2026.
The 2025 fellowship explored and analyzed terraced landforms along the shoreline of the James River in Surry County. This comparative study focused on three sites with historic “falling gardens.” A comprehensive report and site plan will be available in 2026.