This pair of benches was permanently installed in the People’s Garden of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Administration Building on the National Mall in Washington D.C. The VanRose benches celebrate Martha van Rensselaer and Flora Rose, the cofounders of the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, the first state-chartered college of home economics in the country. As co-deans, they were often seen together and became known collectively as “VanRose”. The pairing of the benches reflects their close relationship.
