Brookgreen Gardens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Date opened | 1932 |
|---|---|
| Location | Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA |
| Land area | 10,000 acres (40 km²) |
| Website | http://www.brookgreen.org/ |
| Brookgreen Gardens | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Coordinates: | 33°31′14″N 79°5′59″W / 33.52056°N 79.09972°WCoordinates: 33°31′14″N 79°5′59″W / 33.52056°N 79.09972°W |
| Architect: | Anna Hyatt Huntington |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | April 15, 1978 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78002510[1] |
Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve just south of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. The 9,200-acre property includes several themed gardens with American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems on the property.
It was opened in 1932, and is built on four former rice plantations, taking its name from the former Brookgreen Plantation.
Contents |
[edit] Early history
Originally, what is now Brookgreen Gardens was four rice plantations. The plantations from south to north were The Oaks, Brookgreen, Springfield, and Laurel Hill. The current gardens and surrounding facilities lie completely on the former Brookgreen Plantation, which was owned by Joshua John Ward, the biggest American slaveholder. Only a handful of relics survive on the former plantations. The Alston(Allston) cemetery survives on the grounds of The Oaks plantation. Gov. James Alston and his child are buried in the cemetery. The same grave is a memorial to the governor's wife Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of the infamous Vice President Aaron Burr, who was lost at sea. The rice mill on Laurel Hill is all that remains of the plantation today. During the Civil War, Confederates built a earthen structure on the grounds to block Union ships from coming into the tidal rivers.
Today, trekker tours are launched from the Lowcountry Center into the backroads of the former plantations. Tickets are available at the Lowcountry center.
[edit] The Huntingtons and all that followed
It is the creation of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington of Connecticut, who purchased four plantations to open the garden to showcase her sculptures. Situated on Waccamaw Neck in Georgetown County, South Carolina between the Waccamaw River and the Atlantic coast, it is the country's first public sculpture garden and has largest collection of figurative sculpture by American artists in an outdoor setting in the world. It is also a nature and historical preserve with a small zoo, and a nature exhibition center.
Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington first visited the property in 1929. They were captivated by beauty of it, so they purchased nearly 10,000 acres (40 km²) of forest, swamp, rice fields and beachfront. They intended to establish a winter home on the Atlantic, but Anna saw the potential of the property and they quickly began to develop her vision. Archer, stepson of philanthropist Collis Huntington, and Anna have donated property and contributed much to US arts and culture in a number of states. Her sculpture of Joan of Arc is a feature of New York City's Riverside Park.
The Atlantic Coast side was later leased to South Carolina to form Huntington Beach State Park.
Brookgreen Gardens was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1] The sculpture garden portion, 551 acres (2.23 km2), of Brookgreen Gardens was included in the designation of Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens as a National Historic Landmark in 1984.[2][3] Atalaya Castle is just across U.S. 17 which cut through the former combined Huntington property.
About 1444 works of American figurative sculpture are displayed at the Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Garden. Many of the works are creations of sculptress Anna, but other artists are also featured. There are boat tours to Sandy Island and a self-guided tour nature trail to show off the 2000 identified species of life, including majestic longleaf pines, Spanish moss draped live oaks, and vistas of the river and nearby marshland.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ "Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1876&ResourceType=Building. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ^ Jill S. Mesirow and Page Putnam Miller (April 15, 1992) (PDF), National Historic Landmark Nomination: Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens, National Park Service, http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/84002045.pdf, retrieved 2009-06-22 and Accompanying 26 photos, exterior and interior, from 1992PDF (2.63 MB)
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brookgreen Gardens |
[edit] Gallery
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
