Double Your Gift!
Mark Hubbert, a dedicated Horticulture Landscape Volunteer and Museum Donor, has generously offered a matching challenge. Mark commits to match all gifts made to the Thomas Bailey Aldrich Memorial Garden Restoration Project, up to $25,000.
Preserving The Thomas Bailey Aldrich Garden
Cultivating Beauty, Preserving History
This Colonial Revival garden was created between 1908 and 1913 as a memorial to author Thomas Bailey Aldrich, located next to The Aldrich House, where he grew up with his grandfather. It is the oldest continuously planted garden on the Museum’s grounds and a shining example of Colonial Revival garden design. This Garden features the most valuable part of the Museum's living collection: a century-old circular grove of native hemlocks. The grove was planted at a time when industrialization was taking over the natural landscape.
It is the oldest continuously planted garden on the museum grounds.
The last major restoration effort took place nearly two decades ago with a focus on rejuvenating the cedar-edged beds, revamping brick pathways, reintroducing heirloom plants, and enhancing accessibility by replacing field stone walkways with brick walkways and the addition of an entrance through the summerhouse. However, the passage of time has taken its toll, and the Thomas Bailey Aldrich Garden needs restoration work.
Looking ahead, the forthcoming restoration project aims to address crucial elements of the garden's architecture and visitor experience.
Join Strawbery Banke in Preserving History
The Thomas Bailey Aldrich Memorial Garden restoration project requires passion and financial support.
Can Strawbery Banke count on your help to help preserve this living piece of history?
Funded by a recent grant from the Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Foundation, a new interpretive plan will be developed, featuring interactive kiosks and informative panels, inviting visitors to engage with the garden's history and significance. Moreover, the project aims to restore key architectural features, including the garden's fence, the grape arbor lining the brick building, and the portico attached to the house.
With a target completion date set for the autumn of 2024, this endeavor aspires to restore a colonial revival garden and pay homage to the rich heritage of the Piscataqua River region. This project will demonstrate how to enhance the Museum’s historic landscape into an educational space, enriching the narratives of those who lived and worked in the Puddle Dock Neighborhood at Strawbery Banke.