Heritage Museums and Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Heritage Museums and Gardens (76 acres), formerly the Heritage Plantation of Sandwich, is a collection of museum
s and garden
s located at 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, Massachusetts
. It includes museums of art, American history, and automobiles, with both permanent and visiting exhibits, as well as extensive gardens and grounds featuring a superb collection of Dexter rhododendron
s. Both museums and gardens are open year-round though closed Mondays and Tuesdays in the colder months; an admission fee is charged.
The museum's grounds were once the estate of noted rhododendron
cultivator Charles O. Dexter
estate, where between 1921-1943 Dexter developed between 5,000 and 10,000 seedlings annually. He planted many on the site. In 1969, Josiah K. Lilly III (1916–1995) and his wife established Heritage Plantation of Sandwich on the property. The museum opened with the Auto Museum, Old East Windmill and the building now called the American History Museum. The Art Museum was added in 1972.
s, which now include 125 of the known 145 Dexter cultivars. Their typical bloom time is from Memorial Day Weekend to mid-June. This collection has been painstakingly recovered since 1972, as Dexter's own named cultivars had been scattered without records. Each cultivar had to be recollected from gardens and nurseries up and down the East Coast. The site was prepared in 1972, and by the summer of 1977 it included over 300 plants representing nearly 100 cultivars, with an additional 25 cultivars as small plants in the nursery. All are now mature plantings.
Other items of horticultural interest include: holly
, daylily
, herb
, hosta
, and heather
gardens, as well as more than a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers, many labeled.
The ground also include the Old East Mill, a windmill
built in Orleans, Massachusetts
in 1800, and extensively restored in 1999-2000. Visitors may view its interior on special days. In 2002 a labyrinth
was also added to the grounds, designed by Marty Cain, one of the best-known labyrinth designers in North America. Also located on the grounds is the Hart Family Maze Garden established in 2005. A Cape Cod Hydrangea
garden was added in the fall of 2008.
.
Recently renovated the building houses the semi-permanent and changing seasonal exhibits: A Bird in the Hand: The Carvings of A. Elmer and Cleon Crowell, from East Harwich.
The Gene A. Schott Gallery includes hand-painted lead soldiers
that depict the uniforms, arms and insignia of such famous units as the Green Mountain Boys
, the 4th Massachusetts Regiment
, and the 53rd New York Volunteers known as the “Zouaves”. There are several dioramas as well displays of military weapons.
The exhibit Going Places will run from April 6 - October 18, 2009. Displays will include the culture, evolution, and eventual demise of horse-drawn transportation, from the early nineteenth century, through the industrial revolution, and into the 1900s and the dawn of the automobile age. The exhibit was made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities
, and was sponsored by the Mid-America Arts Alliance
. Going Places was organized by the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages
at Stony Brook, New York
.
manufactured by Charles I. D. Looff
(with free rides) around the rotunda are other carved animal figures from carousels including an ostrich
, frog
, zebra
, cat
and deer
. The building features a large collection of New England folk art
- paintings, weathervanes, Nantucket baskets, scrimshaw
, shop signs and more. Changing seasonal exhibitions are also featured in this building.
. Exhibit items include a 1908 Waltham-Orient
Buckboard Runabout, the 1909 White Motor Company
Steam Car Model M (one of the first official cars of the White House, owned by President William Howard Taft
), 1910 Sears
Model P Surrey, 1911 Stanley Steamer
Model 62 Runabout with a 28 gallon water tank, 1912 Mercer
Raceabout, 1915 Milburn Light Electric, 1916 Crane-Simplex
, 1922 Rolls-Royce
Silver Ghost Pall Mall Phaeton, 1930 Duesenberg
Model J Derham Tourster formerly owned by actor Gary Cooper
, 1930 Cadillac
V-16 Convertible Coupe with a Fleetwood
custom body (with side doors for golf clubs), 1932 Auburn
Boattail Speedster model 8-100A, and a 1933 Packard
1002 Dietrich Convertible Victoria.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s located at 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,675 at the 2010 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the Dexter Grist Mill, in the historic district of town....
. It includes museums of art, American history, and automobiles, with both permanent and visiting exhibits, as well as extensive gardens and grounds featuring a superb collection of Dexter rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s. Both museums and gardens are open year-round though closed Mondays and Tuesdays in the colder months; an admission fee is charged.
The museum's grounds were once the estate of noted rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
cultivator Charles O. Dexter
Charles O. Dexter
Charles Owen Dexter was an American rhododendron hybridizer. Using the Chinese species Rhododendron fortunei, he produced hybrids characterized by dense foliage, large stature and flowers of superior size and color, many of which were also fragrant. Notable examples of his work include...
estate, where between 1921-1943 Dexter developed between 5,000 and 10,000 seedlings annually. He planted many on the site. In 1969, Josiah K. Lilly III (1916–1995) and his wife established Heritage Plantation of Sandwich on the property. The museum opened with the Auto Museum, Old East Windmill and the building now called the American History Museum. The Art Museum was added in 1972.
The gardens and grounds
The gardens' principal interest is its collection of thousands of rhododendronRhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, which now include 125 of the known 145 Dexter cultivars. Their typical bloom time is from Memorial Day Weekend to mid-June. This collection has been painstakingly recovered since 1972, as Dexter's own named cultivars had been scattered without records. Each cultivar had to be recollected from gardens and nurseries up and down the East Coast. The site was prepared in 1972, and by the summer of 1977 it included over 300 plants representing nearly 100 cultivars, with an additional 25 cultivars as small plants in the nursery. All are now mature plantings.
Other items of horticultural interest include: holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
, daylily
Daylily
Daylily is the general nonscientific name of a species, hybrid or cultivar of the genus Hemerocallis . Daylily cultivar flowers are highly diverse in colour and form, as a result of hybridization efforts of gardening enthusiasts and professional horticulturalists...
, herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
, hosta
Hosta
Hosta is a genus of about 23–45 species of lily-like plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to northeast Asia. They have been placed in their own family, Hostaceae ; like many 'lilioid monocots', they were once classified in the Liliaceae...
, and heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
gardens, as well as more than a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers, many labeled.
The ground also include the Old East Mill, a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
built in Orleans, Massachusetts
Orleans, Massachusetts
Orleans is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 5,890 at the 2010 census....
in 1800, and extensively restored in 1999-2000. Visitors may view its interior on special days. In 2002 a labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
was also added to the grounds, designed by Marty Cain, one of the best-known labyrinth designers in North America. Also located on the grounds is the Hart Family Maze Garden established in 2005. A Cape Cod Hydrangea
Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a genus of about 70 to 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea...
garden was added in the fall of 2008.
American History Museum
The history museum includes several galleries housed within a replica of the Revolutionary War building known as The Temple in New Windsor, New YorkNew Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
.
Recently renovated the building houses the semi-permanent and changing seasonal exhibits: A Bird in the Hand: The Carvings of A. Elmer and Cleon Crowell, from East Harwich.
The Gene A. Schott Gallery includes hand-painted lead soldiers
Tin soldier
Tin soldiers are miniature figures of toy soldiers that are extremely popular in the world of collecting. They can be bought finished or in a raw state to be hand-painted. They are generally made of pewter, tin, lead, other metals or plastic...
that depict the uniforms, arms and insignia of such famous units as the Green Mountain Boys
Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization first established in the 1760s in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants...
, the 4th Massachusetts Regiment
4th Massachusetts Regiment
The 4th Massachusetts Regiment also known as 3rd Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Ebenezer Learned outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of...
, and the 53rd New York Volunteers known as the “Zouaves”. There are several dioramas as well displays of military weapons.
The exhibit Going Places will run from April 6 - October 18, 2009. Displays will include the culture, evolution, and eventual demise of horse-drawn transportation, from the early nineteenth century, through the industrial revolution, and into the 1900s and the dawn of the automobile age. The exhibit was made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
, and was sponsored by the Mid-America Arts Alliance
Mid-America Arts Alliance
The Mid-America Arts Alliance , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of six not-for-profit regional arts organizations funded by the National Endowment for the Arts...
. Going Places was organized by the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages
Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages
The Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages is an open air museum located in Stony Brook, New York. Founded in 1939 as the Museums at Stony Brook, it changed its name in 2000...
at Stony Brook, New York
Stony Brook, New York
Stony Brook is a hamlet located in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, which is on the North Shore of Long Island...
.
Art Museum
The Art Museum features a working 1912 carouselCarousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
manufactured by Charles I. D. Looff
Charles I. D. Looff
Charles I. D. Looff was a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides in America. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he manufactured over 50 carousels,twelve amusements parks, several roller coasters and Ferris wheels, and built...
(with free rides) around the rotunda are other carved animal figures from carousels including an ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
, frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
, zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
, cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
and deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
. The building features a large collection of New England folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
- paintings, weathervanes, Nantucket baskets, scrimshaw
Scrimshaw
Scrimshaw is the name given to handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses...
, shop signs and more. Changing seasonal exhibitions are also featured in this building.
J.K. Lilly III Automobile Museum
The automobile museum includes 32 American automobiles housed within a replica of the Shaker Round Barn in Hancock, MassachusettsHancock, Massachusetts
Hancock is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 717 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. Exhibit items include a 1908 Waltham-Orient
Orient (automobile)
Waltham Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in Waltham, Massachusetts between 1902 and 1908.-History:Their first car was a light model sold as the Orient Buckboard. It seated 2 passengers and sold for just US$425, making it the lowest-priced automobile available...
Buckboard Runabout, the 1909 White Motor Company
White Motor Company
White Motor Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates, automatic lathes, and sewing machines. Before World War II, the company was based in Cleveland, Ohio.-History:...
Steam Car Model M (one of the first official cars of the White House, owned by President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
), 1910 Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
Model P Surrey, 1911 Stanley Steamer
Stanley Steamer
The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was a manufacturer of steam-engine vehicles; it operated from 1902 to 1924. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced.-Early history:...
Model 62 Runabout with a 28 gallon water tank, 1912 Mercer
Mercer (car)
Mercer was an American automobile manufacturer from 1909 until 1925. It was notable for its high-performance cars, especially the Type 35 Raceabout.-Early history:...
Raceabout, 1915 Milburn Light Electric, 1916 Crane-Simplex
Crane-Simplex
Not to be confused with American SimplexCrane-Simplex is a defunct car manufacturer, operating in New York City, USA at the beginning of the 20th century.-History:...
, 1922 Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
Silver Ghost Pall Mall Phaeton, 1930 Duesenberg
Duesenberg
Duesenberg was an Auburn, Indiana based American luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars.-History:...
Model J Derham Tourster formerly owned by actor Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
, 1930 Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
V-16 Convertible Coupe with a Fleetwood
Cadillac Fleetwood
Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General...
custom body (with side doors for golf clubs), 1932 Auburn
Auburn Automobile
Auburn was a brand name of American automobiles produced from 1900 through 1936.-Corporate history:The Auburn Automobile Company grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded in Auburn, Indiana, in 1875 by Charles Eckhart...
Boattail Speedster model 8-100A, and a 1933 Packard
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
1002 Dietrich Convertible Victoria.