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Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion

Fight for Survival

Story by localfocus November 24th, 2015

a call to fight

They stand to attention, their serried faces turned upwards to the weak morning light. Outside, the sun’s rays are struggling to poke holes in a blanket of low-slung rain clouds. A light drizzle turns into a quiet, steady drumbeat on the windows, urging the weak and infirm, the young and the old to fight and rage on.


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Do not go gentle

But this is no ordinary fight and these are no ordinary soldiers. Though silent enemies creep up quickly and noiselessly, picking off the sick and feeble, not for them a quiet, unsung death. I am reminded of the poem by Dylan Thomas, Do not go gentle into that good night, a life-affirming rallying call even in the face of impending darkness and death.


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Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

the greenhouse effect

I am at Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park in Canandaigua, New York. Located in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes region and just 30 miles southeast of Rochester, the Sonnenberg estate has become one of my favorite places to explore but it’s the turn-of-the-century greenhouse complex with its eclectic collection of occupants which I find especially appealing. Bursting with teeming collections of orchids, cacti, succulents and tropical plants at every stage of development, these stubborn inhabitants are fighting for their very survival. I pay for a yearly membership and hope that this small contribution will make a difference in the care and maintenance of these beautiful floras.


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A beautiful estate

Just one of two public gardens under the stewardship of the New York State Parks body, Sonnenberg is a late-nineteenth century Victorian estate. Currently spread over 50 acres, the estate includes a highly-distinctive period mansion, formal gardens, fountains and a greenhouse complex.

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But time and a severe lack of funding have taken a toll on this beautiful property and the fight to preserve and maintain it is very real.

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gardens of the world

Built as a summer residence for wealthy New York banker, Frederick Ferris Thompson and his wife Mary Clark Thompson, daughter of Myron Holley Clark, a former Governor of New York State, the existing 40-room Queen Anne-style mansion was constructed in 1887 to replace the original farmhouse when the couple purchased the property and some 300 acres of farmland in 1863. Following Mr Thompson’s death in 1899, Mrs Thompson embarked on an extensive plan to redesign, renovate and create the diverse gardens which make up the estate today. Between 1902 and 1919, nine distinctive gardens were completed as a living memorial to her late husband and which drew upon her years of travel abroad to gather ideas and inspiration.

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a lord & Burnham Jewel

The greenhouse complex, consisting of a domed palm house and several other adjacent buildings, arranged in the form of a hollow square with potting sheds at its center, was built by the Lord & Burnham Company, the premier conservatory designers of the time. The Sonnenberg complex is included in an impressive list of stunning projects completed by the company. Considered one of their greatest accomplishments, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, originally called the South Park Conservatory, was designed and modeled after the famous Crystal Palace at Kew Gardens in England. Other conservatories bearing the Lord & Burnham name include the Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the New York Botanical Garden and the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, DC.

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decay and disrepair

When Mrs Thompson died in 1823, the Sonnnenberg estate was inherited by her eldest nephew, Emory Clark. In 1931, he sold the estate to the federal government who subsequently built a VA hospital on most of the farm acreage surrounding the mansion and formal gardens. The next 40 years or so had a hugely detrimental impact on what was left of the original property however. Neglect, vandalism and decay all took a toll on both the mansion and the gardens. The once beautiful greenhouse complex also fell into disrepair without much-needed ongoing maintenance and care.

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saving sonnenberg

In 1966, a local citizens’ movement was mobilized to preserve, restore and purchase what remained of the original estate and in 1972, a formal bill transferred ownership from the VA to Sonnenberg Gardens, a non-profit organization. Burdened with mounting debts however and the onerous costs of running the 50-acre estate, Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion was once again in crisis.

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a lifeline

By March 2006, the mansion and estate was formally purchased by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Restoration, clearing over $1.4 million in debt and securing $1.8 million that would be used for restorations and maintenance. Additional monies to operate and run the estate continue to come from admissions, memberships, donations, special events and plant sales.

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the work continues

As late Fall descends on Sonnenberg, a peaceful calm has eased its way into all corners of the park. The summer buses have long since departed leaving in their wake the quiet industry of estate workers tending to the gardens and greenhouses. All around lie tools and shovels, forks and spades as the work continues to secure the estate against the oncoming winter.

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Hundreds of panes of glass are being replaced and caulked in the greenhouse complex, while at ground level, stubborn sunflowers are being prised from their summer beds.

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life and death

Late-summer squashes, tomatoes and berries continue to grow from their tangle of vines as dead-headed blossoms nod their lovely heads over the sides of bins and wheelbarrows.

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a cry for help

But this is not just a race against winter. This is a much bigger race against time and destruction. Doors, windows and frames all need to be repaired and painted. Brick and stonework needs critical reconstruction while the rusted irrigation system needs urgent maintenance. In fact, every corner of this beautiful estate is crying out for help.

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a thing of beauty

Yet wandering around quietly, I can see now why Dylan Thomas saw light in darkness and hope in despair. There is a desperate beauty in the decay all around me and beyond the obviously crumbling brickwork and rotting woodwork, I can see that Sonnenberg is something truly worth fighting for.


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Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

a hopeful future

The once-beautiful peach, nectarine and orchid houses really can be restored to their turn-of-the-century glory and the effusive succulent, cacti and palm collections can once again shine in the lovely domed conservatory.

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To peel back the layers of time and decay will take patience, dedication and investment and this battle is surely not for the faint-hearted but where there is such obvious will to survive, then that battle is surely worth fighting.

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Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Footnote: localfocus: we make your story our business; www.sonnenberg.org
Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park, Canandaigua, New York