Annie Gravatt

Annie Gravatt (Annie Evelyn Rathbun) was an American forest pathologist. Her areas of research included plant physiology and white pine blister rust. She also studied Chestnut blight, the fungus that devastated American chestnut trees in the early 20th century. Along with her husband, George Gravatt, she founded the community of Scientists' Cliffs, Maryland.

Education Gravatt received her B.A. from Brown University in 1916, and her M.S. in 1918.

Career Gravatt spent her entire career with the United States Department of Agriculture, 1925. The influence of physical factors on the viability of sporidia of Cronartium ribicola. Fischer in 1923. Journal of Agriculture, Res. 33: 397-433. Spaulding, P. and Annie Rathbun-Gravatt. Annie and George were initially interested in the Calvert County site, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, because they thought it had potential as a preserve for the American chestnut. Originally, the site was a cluster of rustic summer cabins, including the Gravatts', built from chestnut trees killed by the blight. Eventually, the community grew and attracted year-round residents, and today, has over 200 homes. Membership in the community is selective; prospective homeowners must hold an advanced degree or have "outstanding professional experience."

In the 1980s, the Gravatt's property was purchased by the American Chestnut Land Trust. A hiking trail, "Gravatt Lane," and nearby "Gravatt Stream," were named in honor of the Gravatts. The Gravatts' cabin is now a museum displaying fossils and marine life.