Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden is a self-governing 100-acre (0.4 km²) arboretum and network of recreated prairie savannahs owned by the city of Springfield, Illinois. The gardens are made up of two major units, the 63-acre Jensen section bordering Lake Springfield, and the newer 37-acre Prairie Pond section. As of April 2006, the Garden is maintained by a full-time staff of 4 men and women, supplemented by more than 150 volunteers and docents.

[edit] History

The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden (LMG) is the inspiration of Springfield leader Harriet Knudson. When Knudson learned that the city of Springfield was acquiring land for the basin of a new reservoir, intended to serve as a source of city drinking water, she asked the city to set aside approximately 0.6 miles (1 km) of future shoreline as a garden to memorialize Abraham Lincoln. The city agreed and leased the Jensen section to Lincoln Memorial Garden in perpetuity.

As designer of the new garden, LMG selected Jens Jensen. A follower of the Prairie Style and its ideal of "organic architecture," Jensen designed the garden to reflect an ideal of Midwestern North American community. Jensen scattered more than 10 fire circles, his design icon, throughout the Gardens. These fire circles, built of Midwestern splitstone, are designed for groups of 12-50 people to sit together around an open fire. The fire circles are all situated to give participants a view of Lake Springfield. By sitting in a fire circle, visitors have the opportunity to balance the four elements within themselves.

In 1992, the Jensen Unit was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as an example of Jensen's mature landscape design.

[edit] Recreation and activities

The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden maintains approximately six miles (9.5 km) of footpaths. Plantings within the Jensen Unit include the white oak (the Illinois state tree), the sugar maple, the dogwood, and the redbud.

In early spring, LMG operates one of the southernmost maple syrup festivals in Illinois. The LMG maples yield only about 10-15 gallons of dark syrup in a good year.

In October, an Indian Summer Festival celebrates the turning of the leaves.

The gardens maintain a visitor center and gift store.