They were not intended to be estates for the rich but sites large enough for comfortable middle-class homes, each planned to take advantage of the natural setting.

The narrow, meandering roads were laid out to follow the contours of the land, and existing trees were preserved whenever possible.

Even its complex of townhomes, Merestone Terrace, was designed and constructed to much higher standards than ordinary multi-family housing in order to attract more affluent clients.

It was hoped that these measures, combined with restrictive covenants or "gentleman's agreements," would maintain the white, Protestant, affluent, suburban character for decades.

Lawrence embodied ideas from the Progressivist movement of the 1890s, especially his view that the arts were a crucial element in the social evolution of individuals and families in developing both private and public sensibilities as well as creating equal relations between men and women.

The Lawrence children and grandchildren continued to run their father's real estate business until 1990 when it was acquired by another local family.

William Lawrence (1620–82), along with John, held additional patents and settled a large portion of present-day Flushing and Bayside in Queens.

Another notable ancestor was War of 1812 martyr Captain James Lawrence, whose dying wish, "Don't give up the ship," is immortalized in American history.