Mt. Cuba Center

The Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware was founded in 1935 as a private estate and opened to the public in 2013. Its mission is to inspire visitors to conservation action through the experience of plants native to the Appalachian Piedmont. The master plan for the 1,083 acre site expanded the public experience beyond the formal gardens and established a 20-year framework for sustainable growth. The design is anchored by a series of program hubs, including two 1935 service courtyards adapted and extended for education and greenhouse facilities. The new welcome center links the historic gardens with the natural lands and creates an arrival experience to better communicate Mt. Cuba’s ecological mission and context. Miriam led the condition and significance assessments of 53 buildings dating from the 1750s to the 1980s, including two National Register of Historic Places designations, alongside a detailed study of local vernacular architecture. She developed programmatic and design strategies to adapt existing structures for new uses while adding sensitive, contemporary new buildings.