| G arfield
Park Conservatory opened in 1908 in Chicago replacing three
small Victorian glass houses built in the 1880s and quickly
became known as "landscape art under glass."
One of the largest in the world it was unlike
any other nineteenth century conservatory. Architect Jens
Jensen designed it to resemble the form of a Midwestern haystack
and worked with a New York firm that specialized in building
greenhouses. Inside the greenhouse plants were displayed
on the ground with pipes installed behind stonework walls
that created lovely views across the landscape. The aquatic
or fern house serves as the Conservatory's centerpiece that
includes some of the designer's loveliest stone and water
elements; a waterfall looked so natural that many guests
assumed the conservatory was constructed around it.
By the end of the 1920s attendance had climbed
to half a million visitors per year. Horticulture Hall and
a new propagating house were constructed in 1928. During
the next several decades the structure deteriorated and the
Chicago Park District directed construction on new projects
that included demolishing the Palm House and replacing it
with a fiberglass (vs. glass) structure. Attendance continued
to wane but today this botanical conservatory is being restored
to its glory days due to a multi-million dollar plan that
raised millions for educational programs, visitor services
and community relations. Garfield Conservatory is again one
of Chicago's prominent cultural institutions. |
