J. Esposito & Son Landscaping Records, 1949-2002
- Head
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- J. Esposito & Son Landscaping Records
- Creator
- J. Esposito & Son Landscaping
- Collection Number
- MSS 1309
- Language
- English .
- Extent
- 2.5 Linear Feet (3 boxes, 2 oversized folders, 1 oversized roll)
- Date
- 1949-2002
- Abstract
- Joseph Esposito Sr. immigrated from Calabria, Italy and settled in Pittsburgh, PA, where he would go on to work in the local landscaping industry for the majority of his life. The J. Esposito & Son Landscaping Records are a collection of documents and photographs that document the establishment and growth of two Esposito family landscaping businesses through the latter half of the twentieth century. The records are made up of daily ledgers used by the Espositos in the daily running of the business, materials from the Greater Pittsburgh Landscaping Association, and other relevant materials.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
-
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
Biographical / Historical
Joseph Guy Esposito immigrated to Pittsburgh from Savuci, Italy in 1929 with his father and brother. Shortly thereafter he found work with a relative who owned a local landscaping company, English Lane Nursery. Joe Esposito noted that his family's experience in agricultural work, especially in grafting olive trees, allowed them to transition easily to landscaping work.
Esposito would continue to work for English Lane Nursery until being drafted to serve in World War II. After, he would return to the area, marry his wife Rose Mary, and begin his own landscaping business with his brother, Anthony. Esposito's son, Joseph Jr. joined the family business, Parkway Landscaping, in 1969. During its operation, the business was impacted by the ongoing growth of the landscaping industry including the introduction of more efficient lawncare equipment, such as weedwhackers and backpack leaf blowers, and the rise of safety guidelines related to the use of pesticides and chemicals. In 1985 the two men formed J. Esposito & Son Landscaping. Joseph Esposito Jr. continued to run the business after Joseph Esposito Sr.'s passing in 2015.
Scope and Contents
The J. Esposito & Son Landscaping Records are arranged into two series. Series I, Esposito Family Landscaping Businesses, details the daily workings of the Espositos' landscaping businesses, including appointment times, gardening plans, and plant orders. This can be found throughout several detailed daybooks and ledgers kept by Joseph Esposito Sr. The records contain the names and addresses of many of their clients throughout the city. The collection contains a small number of photos, mostly of the Esposito men at work and of completed landscaping projects. One selection visually documents the landscaping work done on the newly constructed synagogue for the Tree of Life Congregation. This series also includes a small number of oversized landscaping plans and drawings. Series II, General & Local Landscaping Industry Materials, contains materials mostly related to the Pittsburgh Area Landscapers Association, an organization to which the Espositos belonged. Other contents include business cards, estimates, correspondence, archives related to dump property owned by family, and nursery coursework papers.
Arrangement
The J. Esposito & Sons Landscaping Records have been arranged into the following series and subseries:
- Series I: Esposito Family Landscaping Businesses
- Subseries 1: Parkway Landscaping (1949-1985)
- Subseries 2: J. Esposito & Son Landscaping (1985-present)
- Series II: General and Local Landscaping Industry Materials
Preferred Citation
J. Esposito & Son Landscaping Records, 1949-2002, MSS 1309, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center
Conditions Governing Access
No conditions governing access.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Copyright may be retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Taylor Adams in 2023.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession 2016.0029 gifted by Joseph Esposito and Rosemarie Waetcher on 1/15/2016. Accession 2016.0102 gifted by Joseph Esposito on 12/14/2016.
Separated Materials
Along with the archival materials, a number of objects were donated to the Heinz History Center Museum Division. These include a hand-push lawn mower, rotary lawn mower, pruning shears, shrub guide, sickle, and other hand tools related to the family's landscaping business. The donation also included tee shirts from both Parkway Landscaping and J. Esposito & Son Landscaping.
Museum Accession Nos. 2016.153, 2016.152, and 2016.1
Related Materials
Joseph Esposito Oral History - Oral history interview with Joseph Esposito Jr. conducted by Melissa Marinaro on 1/27/2016. Esposito speaks about his father's immigration journey to the United States, establishing his own landscaping business in Pittsburgh, and the changes in the landscaping industry over time.
Accession 2016.0102