Pioneer Information
Umberto Innocenti and Richard Webel met at Vitale & Geiffert (Ferruccio Vitale and Alfred Geiffert, Jr.), and formed a partnership in 1931 known as Innocenti & Webel, of Roslyn, Long Island, NY.
Each brought different talents to their practice that flourished for more than 30 years. During the 1930s their firm developed a strong reputation on Long Island by giving their clients a final mature design that included large trees with understory plantings. Their gardens were noted for strong formal geometric shapes, axial relationships, and designs that mimicked European garden iconographies, incorporating such features as balustrades, water jets, ornamental gates, and urns. Janet Darling married Webel and worked in the practice for many years. She died in 1966 and Innocenti died in 1968.
Richard Webel had an exceptionally long career working nationwide with institutions, corporations, landowners, and homeowners. He died in 2000. His firm continues to practice as Innocenti & Webel.
