Pioneer Information
Born in Arrowsmith, Illinois, Weber received a B.A. in English from Wesleyan University, and later a B.F.A. in landscape architecture and M.A. in plant ecology from University of Illinois. After completing her studies in 1935, she found work with C.C. Combs in New York City, where she worked on the Palisades Parkway, and with the architecture firm Shaw Maess & Murphy. Weber later joined the New York City Parks Department, where she worked on site design for the city’s parks. She opened her own practice in 1945, focused on public and residential work in the northeast. In 1970 her husband, architect Joseph Sammataro, joined her practice as a drafting, administrative and planning associate.
Weber’s approach to landscape design was scientific, highlighting the elemental nature of the garden and drawing on her education in plant ecology. Her simple plans, illustrative of the transitional years between the Country Place era and postwar decades, showcase plant material and form, and introduce Modernist touches. Public projects include designs for the campuses of Illinois Wesleyan University and Bard College, New York; Purnell School, New Jersey; Tree of Life Arboretum at Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; and the First Congregational Church, Litchfield, Connecticut. Weber’s residential clients included celebrities Mary Rockefeller and Oscar de la Renta.
In addition to her built work, Weber wrote extensively on landscape architecture and design. She published articles in Landscape Architecture magazine, produced a column for the New York Times and penned the book How to Plan Your Own Home Landscape.