Phillips Mill Barn

Morgan Colt studied architecture at Columbia University and practiced as an architect prior to settling in New Hope, where he opened his Gothic Shop on William Lathrop’s property at Phillips’ Mill. Although he designed and produced handcrafted wooden, wrought-iron, and tooled copper furnishings in the shop, Colt is probably best known for his landscapes, which are quite rare due to his early death in 1926.

A New York Times review of Colt’s solo exhibition at Ferargil Galleries in March 1918 described the artist’s work as embodying a “fragility” and “pleasant coolness of tone that falls just short of crispness.” In this landscape, Phillips Mill Barn, Colt captures the ephemeral effects of a delicate breeze stirring the foliage throughout the scene.