The Castle on the Hill

“[Sir Henry Pellatt] wanted a place where he would be acknowledged as lord, and undisputed master, where he could foster and perhaps capture a sense of medieval-era grace and chivalry” (125).

The Book

In 1909, Sir Henry Pellatt was one of 23 millionaires in Canada who wielded great power. At the height of his power, he started work on a tangible legacy: Casa Loma. In Sir Henry Pellatt: The King of Casa Loma, author Carlie Oreskovich explores the contradictory actions and perspectives of Pellatt, while pulling the man out from the shadow of his castle.

Pellatt’s early life was marked by his father’s financial failures and a fresh start for the family in Toronto. After Pellatt Sr. opened his independent stockbroker business, the family’s financial affairs improved. In 1876, Pellatt left school to join his father’s business, becoming a full partner in 1883. It is also during this time that he joined the Queen’s Own Rifles military club, whom he would be actively involved with for the rest of his life.

By 1892, Pellatt Sr. had retired and Pellatt was running the business. Throughout his career, he profited off of shrewd business deals and sketchy business practices. His business dealings came under investigation multiple times, with accusations of financial manipulation and conflicts of interest. At the same time, Pellatt was well-respected throughout Toronto. Always eager to back new ventures, he was an early supporter of electric power and lobbied hard to bring the power of Niagara Falls to Toronto. His Toronto Electric Light Company had a 30-year monopoly for Toronto’s street lights and he joined with two other businessmen to build a power plant in Niagara Falls. A growing distrust of private control of utilities and tensions around price controls contributed to Pellatt’s financial difficulties and a public takeover in 1911.

In the middle of shady business management, Pellatt had two hobbies. After rising through the ranks, he commanded the Queen’s Own Rifles. He completely financed the regiment’s 1910 trip to England for seven weeks to participate in military maneuvers. This action was viewed as a massive act of patriotism. The second hobby, was the construction of Casa Loma, which also began in 1910. Construction took time, especially as the horses struggled to pull heavy wagon loads of materials up an unpaved hill. Pellatt visited the site daily, highly interested in the progress and the workers. He and his wife moved in June 1914, even though Casa Loma wasn’t finished. The outbreak of World War I and an economic downturn halted the work—resulting in Casa Loma never being finished.

The Pellatts were forced to move out of Casa Loma in 1923. By this point, Pellatt’s finances were in serious trouble and he was constantly borrowing against his investments. He sold Casa Loma in 1924 and watched a five-day auction of all his belongings. In 1937, the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto made the castle into a tourist attraction, charging 25 cents a tour. Pellatt died in 1939 and thousands turned out for the viewing, funeral, and funeral procession in appreciation for what he’d done and who he was, despite the scandals.

Oreskovich paints a picture of Pellatt that is full of contradictions, because that is the type of man he was: simultaneously a shady businessman and generous benefactor. After I finished reading, I did feel sorry for what Pellatt had to experience at the end of his life, but also saw his hand in financial decisions that harmed so many. There are brief mentions of Pellatt’s wife and hardly any of his son, including more would have helped the reader understand his character. The narrative flows well, with short chapters, and an informal style. News articles are quoted at length and a small amount of Pellatt’s writing is included. A black and white photo section is made up of snapshots from various events in Pellatt’s life. During the section on Casa Loma, one chapter steps out of the narrative to give a tour of the castle. Oreskovich describes rooms, provides facts, and explains what wasn’t finished by Pellatt. This was an interesting approach and similar to taking an audio tour.

The Place

Casa Loma is North America’s only full-sized castle and at one time was located on the outskirts of Toronto; today the city engulfs it. Visitors can still feel like they are removed from city life as they wander the grounds or walk the halls. When I visited, we began our tour in the gardens; while not large, they were full of a variety of flowers. The interior tour takes visitors through three floors, two towers, and the stables. My favorite parts were the library, with its dark paneling, chandeliers, and book cases, and the open-air Norman Tower providing amazing views of the Toronto skyline. Visitors end up in the basement, where there is a café and gift shop. Off in a corner is what would have been the indoor swimming pool. It’s been converted into a theatre, with folding chairs on the bottom of the pool. A biographical video of Henry Pellatt plays on a loop; it would have been more helpful to see this at the beginning of the tour.

Casa Loma is open daily and general admission tickets can be purchased online. You can also book one of several escape rooms. There is a small parking lot onsite, for a fee, or additional lots in the surrounding area. A multimedia audio guide is included in the admission fee, but you will need to provide your own cell phone and headphones. This was not clear on the website, and we didn’t have headphones with us. The audio guide was a bit glitchy, so our use of it was sporadic. Visiting Casa Loma involves a lot of walking and staircases. The two towers are accessible via multiple spiral staircases and visitors must take a tunnel, more than 100 feet, from the castle to the stables.

Space Man

“I had seen three sunsets and three dawns, flying from one day into the next and back again. Nothing felt the same” (275).

The Book

Reading John Glenn: A Memoir by John Glenn with Nick Taylor is like having a conversation with a grandparent. One can imagine Glenn being interviewed and ending up down a rabbit hole of stories. This doesn’t take away from the narrative flow, rather it allows Glenn’s personality and beliefs to come through.

Glenn was born in 1921 and grew up in New Concord, Ohio. This small town and her people are where Glenn traces his love of country and its ideals back to. Family, teachers, and community members all influenced how Glenn viewed the role of a citizen and decisions for his future. He and Annie Castor started dating in high school, with both staying in New Concord to attend Muskingum College. After the start of World War II, Glenn was motivated to serve his country. He joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program in January 1941 and then the college Naval pre-flight school in 1942. In the middle of training, he applied and was accepted into the Marines. Glenn’s training competed in 1943 and one month later he and Annie married. Through the end of the World War II, Glenn flew missions in the Pacific as a fighter pilot.

Post-World War II, Glenn remained with the Marines. During the late 1940s and 1950s, Glenn was stationed in China and fought in the Korean War, often separated from Annie and their two children. In 1954, he transitioned to being a test pilot. Three years later, Glenn broke the airplane cross-country speed record. His average speed was 723 mph and he passed over New Concord, with people reporting sonic booms in his wake. Glenn volunteered for NASA in 1958 and began years of vigorous physical, mental, and academic training with the Project Mercury astronauts.

After watching two of his fellow astronauts head into space, it was finally Glenn’s turn in 1962. On the Friendship 7—named by his two children—he was the first American to orbit in space. At this point in the memoir, the narrative slows as Glenn describes the experience in detail. He advocated and received permission to take a camera with him. In between assigned tasks, Glenn took photos. An overwhelming excitement across the country greeted him when he returned to earth: parades in DC, New York City, and New Concord and copious amounts of fan mail. All Glenn wanted was to go back into space again; he would have to wait 36 years.

A close friendship with Robert Kennedy and strong sense of civic duty led Glenn to run for US Senator from Ohio. He dedicated his four terms (1975-1999) to making principled decisions, government efficiency, and constituent relations. While preparing for a debate on NASA’s budget in 1995, Glenn realized that the medical impact of space travel on astronauts was similar to aging on earth. He thought, why not send a senior citizen into space to study the effects? After much petitioning, his wish was granted and Glenn joined the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. In 1998, he returned to space for nine days of research experiments. His safe return was greeted with as much enthusiasm as his 1962 orbital flight.

Throughout John Glenn: A Memoir, Glenn weaves his emotions, thoughts, and personal beliefs into the narrative. He candidly shares hard lessons learned and his moral, spiritual, and patriotic beliefs. Readers can get a sense that there are still strong emotions about certain events in the past. You might not agree with Glenn’s decisions or beliefs, but you can appreciate his honesty. The book is broken up into six parts and there are two sections of black and white photos. Chapters flow well and include the right amount of detail. I particularly appreciated the time Glenn spent on astronaut training and how he compared his experience in 1998 with his earlier experience.

The Place

The John & Annie Glenn Museum, located in Glenn’s childhood home, ensures that visitors will be immersed in Glenn family and American history. Every two years, museum staff change the artifacts and décor of the first floor to reflect three different eras: the Great Depression (1937), World War II (1944), and the Space Race (1962). Period pieces supplement the plethora of Glenn family artifacts. After experiencing the first floor, the tour continues upstairs. It includes Glenn’s bedroom, as it was when he was a teenager, and galleries dedicated to Glenn’s military service, the Space Race, and Annie.

Our tour guide was a life-long resident of New Concord who personally knew Glenn. She mixed personal stories in with the overall narrative of the tour—and it was great! We were the only ones on the tour, allowing us to ask questions and linger in the house. While tours typically last an hour, they can go longer depending on the interest level of visitors.

From May to October, the John & Annie Glenn Museum is open 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Sunday. There is an admission fee and a small parking lot is behind the house. If you have the time, you can purchase a dual ticket for this museum and the National Road & Zane Grey Museum to save a few dollars. There is a seven-minute drive between the two museums and both can easily be visited in one day.

Happy 250th Birthday, America!

In honor of America’s Semiquincentennial, I’ve rounded up seven previous blog posts that focus on various aspects of the American Revolution. Some are from the very early stages of Traveling through Reading, while others are much more recent.

You’ll travel throughout the colonies, meeting the individuals who loom large in our nation’s founding and discovering places often overlooked. No matter the level of fame today, each person, place, and occurrence all had a part to play in creating the United States of America out of thirteen loosely tied colonies.

The Signers

In Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed The Declaration of Independence, authors Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese provide a brief biography of all fifty-six signers.

Today, visitors can walk the same cobblestone streets that the signers walked in Philadelphia. Inside Independence Hall, you can step into the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and imagine the arguments for and against a split from Great Britain. Just across the street is the Liberty Bell. Originally it hung in Independence Hall, but has been moved to a spot where all visitors can see it up close.

Military Drill for Independence

The Drillmaster of Valley Forge by Paul Lockhart is an insightful look into Baron von Steuben, the man credited with training the Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1778. For many Americans, this is where Steuben’s story ends. Lockart’s biography details the rest of Steuben’s major contributions that had a lasting impact on the American military.

Valley Forge is located about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The Visitor Center provides an overview of Valley Forge and numerous artifacts from the winter encampment. Throughout the park, you can visit replica cabins that soldiers would have stayed in, the home Washington used as his headquarters, and the plain where Steuben trained and drilled the army.

            
“The ‘Cockpit’ of the American Revolution”

The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Home Front, edited by James J. Gigantion II, explores the impact of the Revolutionary War on New Jersey. Readers gain insight into the personal, economic, and military impact on the residents—for both patriots and loyalists.

Red Bank Battlefield Park is one of the many locations in New Jersey that commemorates where the America forces fought for Independence from Great Britain. Located on the Delaware River, the patriot forces fought Hessian soldiers. The original owners' home is open seasonally and provides a glimpse into Colonial life.

The Glorious Cause of America

In 1776, author David McCullough unpacks all that happened during one pivotal year. He splits the book into three parts that move the reader from London to Colonial America. For me, the most impactful part of 1776 was McCullough's description of the Continental Army: a collection of rag-tag volunteers who morphed into a disciplined fighting force. 

Nestled amongst numerous other Philadelphia sites important to the story of 1776, the Museum of the American Revolution is a fully immersive museum that takes full advantage of technological advancements. It covers the entirety of the American Revolution, transporting visitors across geography and leaving them with a greater appreciation for the everyday patriots committed to independence. 

Chain Defense

Chaining the Hudson by Lincoln Diamant highlights an important part of Revolutionary War history: defending the Hudson River, north of New York City. Failure to defend it would split the northern colonies in two and cut off supplies.

Fort Montgomery is on the northern edge of Bear Mountain State Park, in New York. The area includes a small indoor museum, detailing the significance of the Fort to the defense of the Hudson, original stone foundations and earthworks, and recreated structures.

And, just as a reminder, the last two published blog posts were the first in this mini-series:

• Evolution of the Revolution
• The Flag Seamstress

The Flag Seamstress

“She is important to our understanding of American history not because she made any one flag, however iconic that moment may have become, but because she was a young craftswoman who embraced the resistance movement with vigor, celebrated its triumphs and suffered its consequences” (361).

The Book

Betsy Ross is unique in the pantheon of American Revolution figures: a woman, non-political, non-military, and an artisan. Did she really sew the first American flag and was it her suggestion to make the stars five points, instead of six points? If the answer is yes, Ross happened to be in the right place, at the right time, and knew the right people. Her skills as an upholsterer and family connections opened up the door. In Betsy Ross and the Making of America author Marla R. Miller explores the world of Ross and how it intertwined with the development of the United States.

Elizabeth Griscom, later Betsy Ross, was born January 1, 1752 by Newton Creek in New Jersey to Quaker parents. The family was well-off due to her father’s work as a builder in Philadelphia, where an influx of immigrants created a housing demand. In the mid-1760s, Ross went to work in an upholstery shop becoming skilled at needlework. Her first husband, John Ross, apprenticed at the same shop and worked alongside Ross. They married in 1773, after John opened his own upholstery shop, where they both worked. During the same year, the boycott of goods from England (in response to the Tea Act) directly impacted their shop. In January 1776, John died and Ross sold the goods in the shop. When the American colonies declared independence in July 1776, military flags were needed. There is no historical proof that Ross contributed to the design of the first US flag, made it, or even met with George Washington about it. However, there is evidence that Ross sewed ships colors for the Pennsylvania Navy Board during the American Revolution.

She married Joseph Ashburn in 1777, who sailed on American ships tasked with disrupting British shipping. He was captured and died while imprisoned in England. In 1783, she married John Claypoole and they opened an upholstery shop that also sold furniture and wallpaper. For the next four decades, Ross worked alongside her daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. This included sewing 46 garrison flags for the US Arsenal on the Schuylkill River. In 1827, with her eyesight failing, Ross retired; and, on January 30, 1836 she died. Miller pinpoints the start of the Betsy Ross legend with an 1857 conversation Ross’s daughter, Clarissa Claypoole, had with her nephew, William Canby. In 1870, Canby shared the story during a lecture at the Historical Society of Philadelphia. From there, the legend took on a life of its own.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Miller is a good writer who often provides small asides that provide a richer understanding of the time period. Readers do not only learn about Ross; they learn about her family and the world she lived in. Unfortunately, some of those asides take up the bulk of chapters, detracting from Ross’s story. Miller makes it clear that there is a lack of historical records about Ross. In many cases, she relies on the experience of others or musings about what Ross would have done. I found myself skimming some sections, because I was more interested in Ross. A photo section includes sketches, engravings, paintings, and photos. None are of Ross when she was alive.

The Place

The Betsy Ross House, while close to all the key sites of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, sits alone on a section of Arch Street. And yet, it is still just as crowded with tourists who want to walk in the steps of the legend. Visitors enter through a small courtyard, where Ross and her third husband (Claypoole) are buried. Self-guided tours begin in the Museum shop. As you make your way throughout each room, you get a sense of life during the American Revolution. In the upholstery shop, a costumed interpreter interacts with guests as Betsy Ross. Despite being the most crowded room of the tour, I enjoyed hearing the interpreter speak and watching her sew like Ross.

It’s recommended that you purchase tickets online, ahead of your visit. They are good for any day during the year of purchase and are not time specific. Operating dates and hours vary depending on the season; the only days the House is closed are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. The House has three flights of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible. A visit won’t take more than a couple of hours, so it’s a great opportunity to explore other sights close by or simply wander the streets of Old City.

Evolution of the Revolution

“Massachusetts, [Samuel Adams] insisted, needed to step forward to serve as an example for the other colonies in order to win their backing for a boycott of British goods” (116).

The Book

The Boston Tea Party. The First Continental Congress. The Battle of Lexington and Concord. The American Revolution would not have happened if it weren’t for these three events. But what happened before and in between them? How did the colonists come to respond as they did? These are questions Mary Beth Norton addresses in 1774: The Long Year of Revolution.

American colonists loved tea. They loved it so much that it was a lucrative item for smugglers, who avoided the East India Company (EIC) monopoly and crown taxes. The Tea Act of 1773 was meant to bring down the price of tea and save EIC from bankruptcy. Responses throughout the colonies varied, but the majority of colonists saw this as another example of taxation without representation. Several months after news of the act arrived in America, a ship with a cargo of tea sailed into the Boston harbor. There was a 20-day deadline to pay the tax or have the cargo confiscated. A two-day meeting resulted in a unanimous vote to prevent its landing and send it back to England. The ship’s captain resisted and one night before the deadline, the Boston Tea Party occurred.

From that moment on, Norton traces the reactions of the other colonies and the progression towards declaring independence; and Boston looms large as the catalyst. In May 1774, Parliament retaliated by closing the ports of Boston and New York City. Shocked, Boston asked the other colonies to join them in a boycott of trade with Great Britain. Deliberation occurred in town meetings, personal correspondence, broadsides, and editorial letters. None of the colonies supported the boycott, but they did all agree to a continental congress. Meanwhile, Boston was an occupied city with British troops, a closed port, and an altered governing charter.

The First Continental Congress—which met from September 5-October 26, 1774—agreed to a staggered response: October 1774, they would stop buying tea and in March 1775, they would stop consuming tea. During the winter of 1774-1775, letters from prominent and regular colonists reflected a crisis about to come to a head and the term “loyalist” first appeared. Calls for a Second Continental Congress reflected a shift from peacefully resolving the issues to talk of independence. In spring 1775, British soldiers in Boston increased their harassment of colonists and news arrived that Parliament declared the American colonies in rebellion.

1774: The Long Year of Revolution opens up a new window into the American Revolution. Its focus on providing context and insight from everyday colonists enhanced my understanding of what happened in 1774. Much of the deliberation occurred in print and Norton liberally quotes from letters, newspapers, and pseudonym letters to the editor. She provides a fuller picture by incorporating well-known figures as well as those lost to history. These figures are from all sides: royal governors, Sons of Liberty, printers, moderate colonists, loyalists, and patriots. They also include women who wrote letters to their husbands serving in the First Continental Congress. The letters include political commentary, highly unusual for that time. The chapters are long, but they are split into sections. Each chapter begins with an introductory story that sets the stage for the rest of the chapter. A handful of black and white images are sprinkled throughout, mostly depicting political illustrations of the time.

The Place

The Boston Freedom Trail is a real-life depiction of how Boston was a catalyst for the American Revolution. It is made up of a red-brick path that winds throughout Boston, connecting 16 historic sites. The Trail begins at the Boston Common, the oldest public park in America, and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument. During my visit, two sites stood out to me: the Granary Burying Ground and the Old South Meeting House. Our tour guide spent a lot of time in the Granary Burying Ground, explaining the roles of key people in the American Revolution. Sitting inside the Old South Meeting House, I could imagine being a colonist attending a town meeting and listening to the debates about how to respond to taxation from Parliament.

You can either follow the Trail on your own or take a guided tour. I had the opportunity to take the guided tour—with a guide dressed as a colonial town crier—and to walk the path on my own. Both options provide you with a great way to experience early American history. The guided tour doesn’t stop at all 16 sites, but spends time at the majority of them. If this is your first time in Boston, I would recommend the guided tour. The town crier stays in character for the entire tour and regales you with stories, both new and well-known. Tickets are required and offered several times throughout the day. Tours last 90 minutes and require quite a bit of walking. However, if you prefer going at your own pace and going inside the different sites, walking the path on your own would be better.

A Light in the Darkness

“the Beje was the center of an underground ring that spread now to the farthest corners of Holland” (125).

The Book

The number of books published about the Holocaust are numerous. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, with Elizabeth and John Sherrill, stands out from the rest because of the selfless love and testimony of the ten Boom family. When confronted with the evil treatment of the Jews, they chose to serve God’s chosen people despite the danger and consequences.

The first chapters introduce the ten Boom family and their home, the Beje. You get a sense of their personalities, love for others, and strong faith in God. By the time the main events of the book take place, three ten Booms live in the Beje: Casper, father and skilled watchmaker; Betsie, oldest child and caretaker of the Beje; and Corrie, youngest child and first licensed woman watchmaker in Holland. Two other ten Boom children, Willem and Nollie, live nearby and frequently return to the Beje.

When the Germans invaded Holland in 1940, Casper was 81, Betsie was 55, and Corrie was 48. As the Germans implemented anti-Jewish laws, the ten Booms discussed opportunities to help Jews. They began by storing theology books and valuables and, in 1942, started hiding people. A secret room—the hiding place—was built in Corrie’s bedroom and could hide several people during a raid. Eventually, there were several permanent residents in hiding, with others who stayed for a night or two. The residents of the Beje held practice drills to prepare for a raid, timing their movements and rehearsing answers to interrogation. On February 28, 1944, a raid occurred. Six people scrambled to the hiding place and the five ten Booms; plus, numerous underground workers were arrested.

After spending the night in the police station, they were taken to The Hague (two hours away) and imprisoned. Corrie was confined to a solitary cell because of influenza and she slowly recovered, despite the unsanitary conditions. By April, only Corrie and Betsie were in prison; Casper died in prison in March. Amazingly, all six in the hiding place survived the raid and were rescued. In June, Corrie and Betsie were reunited on a transport train to a prison in Vught. It was here that Corrie began to marvel at Betsie’s ability to love the guards and maintain an attitude of grace. After a few months, they were loaded onto freight cars and taken to Ravensbrück, a concentration camp in Germany. Through it all, Corrie struggled with misery and selfishness; while, Betsie found ways to be grateful and spread the love of Christ. Betsie’s example spurred Corrie to do the same. In December, just before she died, Betsie implored Corrie, “…must tell people what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that [God] is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here” (227). On December 30, Corrie was released from Ravensbrück, due to a clerical error, and arrived home in January. She spent the remainder of her life fulfilling Betsie’s request to share what they learned.

The easy-to-read memoir plays out as vignettes that propel the story forward catching the reader up in it. The focus is on the people, their interactions, and Corrie’s feelings. As narrator of The Hiding Place, Corrie punctuates the narrative with memories and is candidly honest in sharing her thoughts, temptations, and struggles with faith and love while imprisoned. This is what makes her so relatable. Christian readers will be encouraged when Corrie finds strength through God and joy in all circumstances. Throughout the book, the faith of the ten Boom family, love for your enemies, care for the vulnerable, and the power of forgiveness are underlying themes. Without them, this story would not have taken place.

The Place

The Corrie ten Boom House brings to life the events of The Hiding Place in a way that the book cannot. When I read the book, I understood that the house was small, the rooms tiny, and the staircase precarious. Standing in the house, I realized that my imagination failed to grasp what is was like. The living room, dining room, and Corrie’s bedroom—where the hiding place was—are preserved. The other bedrooms were converted into a small museum and the watch shop is now the gift shop. It covers life during the Nazi occupation, the concentration camp, and Corrie’s life after her release.

My brother and I specifically visited Haarlem to tour the Corrie ten Boom House. Ever since I first read The Hiding Place in high school, I have looked up to the faith of the ten Boom family and drawn encouragement from their testimonies. It was a special experience to walk in their home. After our tour we visited the Grote Kerk, where the ten Boom family attended church, and the Grote Markt, the central market square. Both are mentioned frequently in the book and provide insight into life in the Netherlands.

Tours of the Corrie ten Boom House are free and offered Tuesday through Saturday. English tours are available from 10am-12pm and at 2pm, lasting about 75 minutes. These tours fill up quickly and it is recommended that you book online three to four months in advance. The House is not handicap accessible and photography is only permitted in the Hiding Place. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and it was special to be on a tour with other Christians from around the world.

A Park for Everyone

“What better wholesome entertainment can you find than to take the family out to Franklin Park to see, believe it or not, plants and flowers from at least 45 countries. Just read the little tags and in the space of one little corner you may find things from as many as five or six countries” – The Columbus Dispatch, 1951 (50).

The Book

Reading Past to Present: A Chronological History of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is like going on a private tour with the author, Dennis Craig Thompson. He is clear from the beginning that his personal experiences with Franklin Park led him to write the book, especially after he discovered that there aren’t many books about it. Past to Present is organized in a unique way. Thompson begins with his own memories of working a summer job at Franklin Park. Then, he details the chronological history of the park—the bulk of the book—and ends with a few short chapters on items he found interesting.

The land where Franklin Park is located was first the Franklin County Fairground in 1852 and then the location of the Ohio State Fair from 1874-1884. In 1886, it officially became a city park. The Conservatory building was built from 1895-1897 and encountered numerous challenges, from rising costs to lawsuits to labor unrest. The building seemed to always face some kind of structural issue, even being condemned in 1958. That led to over a decade of repair and remodeling. From the mid-twentieth century to today, Franklin Park has expanded to include more unique collections of plants, an outdoor glassblowing pavilion, a children’s garden, and rotating exhibitions. This includes growing all the plants for city parks (starting in 1918), adding animals to attract guests (1924), and being the first in the US to host a seasonal butterfly exhibition (1994).

While Past to Present does provide fun facts and the history of Franklin Park, it wasn’t the easiest or most engaging book to read. The historical chronology often gets too detailed with meeting notes or newspaper articles and, after some sections, Thompson will summarize what was just listed. It would have been better if the history was presented in a narrative format. I also found myself wishing for more information about the plants on display and visitor experience throughout the years.

The Place

The Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is nestled in a neighborhood east of downtown Columbus. It’s easy to forget that you are near a state capitol city because you can’t hear any city noises. Several gardens and collections make up Franklin Park. Outdoors is the Botanical Gardens, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden, and Paul Busse Garden Railway. Indoors are the Conservatory, John F. Wolfe Palm House, and Bonsai Collection. Visitors will find native Ohio plants along with plants from around the world. When we went, there was a special exhibit of topiary animals throughout Franklin Park. It was really neat to see land and sea animals, made out of flowers, ready to walk through the gardens—you could even sit on the elephant!

Franklin Park is open daily, 10am-5pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Make sure to check the website for closures due to private events or renovations. Tickets are required for visitors; they can be pre-purchased online or upon arrival. There is ample free parking available. As you plan your visit, check for upcoming events and leave enough time to visit the Hot Shop, for glassblowing demonstrations. Since Franklin Park has both indoor and outdoor exhibits, dress and prepare for the weather.