By the mid-20th century, Ninah Cummer’s art collection had grown substantially, encompassing European and American paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper. As she aged, she began to formalize her plans to leave her home and collection to the people of Jacksonville. In 1958, Ninah established the Cummer Museum Foundation, articulating he

To understand the Cummer legacy, one must also understand Jacksonville’s history. In 1901, the Great Fire of Jacksonville devastated the city, destroying more than 2,000 buildings and displacing tens of thousands of residents. Among the city’s citizens who helped rebuild was the Cummer family. Their lumber and construction businesses became cen

The Cummer home, designed in the early 1900s, reflected the grandeur of the Gilded Age but retained a sense of regional charm. Constructed with attention to proportion and natural light, the mansion became both a residence and a gallery for the Cummers’ growing art collection. The estate’s gardens, designed and refined over the following dec

  Introduction: A Riverfront Legacy of Art and Nature The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens stands as a crown jewel of Jacksonville, Florida — a place where history, art, and landscape architecture merge seamlessly. Overlooking the broad, serene St. Johns River, the museum represents more than a century of cultural aspiration. It is not merely