Gardens in Poughkeepsie
Are you interested in gardening? Do you enjoy sowing the seeds and watching as things grow? Have you experienced the joys of harvesting fresh flowers and vegetables? Or perhaps you are one of those who can’t keep a plant alive for very long, and would rather just admire someone else’s green thumb by taking a garden tour. Either way, May is a good time to get out there and start your plantings or take a walk through the irises. So let’s take a look at some gardens that were once a part of Poughkeepsie’s landscape, and hopefully this will inspire you to get out there and start your own.
Back in the era before refrigerators and ice boxes, the home garden was more than just a thing of beauty to enjoy, it was essential to life. Vegetable gardens would be planted and harvested and then the bounty placed in jars to be saved throughout the winter. We can see in some of our photographs taken by Frank B. Howard, that there were plenty of backyard vegetable gardens within the city in the 1920’s. To have a flower garden or an ornamental garden was certainly a luxury. Some of the largest and finest gardens could be seen on the grand river estates along the Hudson. Places like Vanderbilt Mansion and Locust Grove still have these beautiful gardens maintained to this day. During World War II, a tour of these magnificent gardens was offered by their owners to benefit the war relief program. In June of 1941, several estates made their gardens available for those who purchased tickets to the tour.
In 1909, an attempt was made to begin a gardening school for children in the city. The Poughkeepsie Garden School ran during the gardening seasons from 1909 until 1914. Children between the ages of 9 and 13 were encouraged to sign up. The school was conducted in the old gardens that had once belonged to the Eastman family at Eastman Park. Mr. W.L. Wildey who had studied at the Garden School of New York City served as the director along with the assistance of Augustus Davies. Lessons were conducted once a week on everything from seed germination to harvesting. The children were expected to keep notebooks with details of the work they had done each day. In the first year, the school had applications for 360 children with 166 children actually maintaining their gardens. For the second season, the amount of beds was increased to 200 in order to accommodate more young gardeners. The school is mentioned again in 1914, after that it seems to have disappeared.
There were once two beautiful conservatories that added to the beauty of our area. The Hudson River State Hospital had a large one that was part of the hospital’s farming operation. Patients were encouraged to learn the art of gardening just as the students in the Eastman gardens had. Keeping their minds and hands busy at work was a form of medical stimulation that encouraged good habits. Another beautiful conservatory could be found at College Hill Park as seen in the early postcard on the right. This incredible structure continued to house plants for the city until the late 1940s when it was torn down and newer greenhouses had been constructed further down the hill (Sadly, those buildings were also removed by the 1970s).
Did you know that we now have a seed library? You can sign up here and plant your very own garden with a variety of seeds. We would also love it if you would show us your creations by sharing your photos on our social media. So get out there and plant something!
References:
The Hudson River Garden Fete, pamphlet, 1941, Dutchess County Garden Clubs box
Report of the Poughkeepsie Garden School 1909-1912, Dutchess County Garden Clubs box
Poughkeepsie Eagle News – Aug 20, 1914
Poughkeepsie Journal – Nov 28, 1942
“Hudson River State Hospital” by Joseph Galante and Lynn Rightmyer, 2018.
Images:
27FBH – Photograph of a backyard garden in the old neighborhood, prior to the construction of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, by Frank B. Howard. LH Collections.
544a-2PC4 – Postcard of the Eastman Park Gardens. LH collections.
612-1PC4 – Postcard of the conservatory at the Hudson River State Hospital. LH Collections.
668-1PC5 – Postcard of the conservatory at College Hill Park. LH Collections.
