In the 1990s, this single lot was an active site for local YMCA-associated Boys Club members. After years of under-use, in 2003 New York Restoration Project (NYRP) revitalized the garden with a generous restoration and endowment grant provided by the Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Commissioned by NYRP, Tiffany & Co. Design Director John Loring worked with the organization’s staff and local community members to develop and implement a design plan that would re-envision the space and its great potential.

Directly facing Thomas Jefferson Park, the Family Garden’s location inspired Loring to weave historical references into his design plan. Garden highlights include a wrought-iron entry gate that echoes the façade of Jefferson’s beloved Virginia home, Monticello, and garden furnishings that feature the Founding Father’s silhouette. Other Jeffersonian images and Colonial-era features are found in cut-metal figures affixed to the garden’s planting beds, a bluestone patio, a traditional arbor and brick planters with wide limestone caps.