Airlie Gardens, a 67-acre public garden in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a popular destination for visitors. Mrs. Jones designed and built it as a private garden for the Pembroke Jones family in 1886, and it has been in the family ever since. The surname ‘Airlie’ was taken from the Jones family’s ancestral residence in the Scottish Highlands. It was created to look like a rich, flowing, realistic Southern garden, complete with hundreds of azaleas, camellias, magnolias, palms, and wisteria trees. Rudolf Topel, a German landscape architect, converted the garden into a gorgeous setting. It was purchased by New Hanover County in 1999 for a sum of money.
Hurricane Florence caused more than 300 trees to be felled in the United States in 2018. A participating member of the American Horticultural Society, Airlie Gardens provides reciprocal entry to other gardens, arboreta, and conservatories in the area.
For a number of years, Minnie Evans, an African-American folk musician, served as the gatekeeper at Airlie Gardens’ entry gate. It was in 1954 that Evans made the work titled Airlie Oak (oil on wood), which is currently on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The Airlie Oak, a 500-year-old southern live oak that may be found on the grounds of Airlie Gardens, is a national treasure. In 1967, Airlie Oak was accepted as a member of the Live Oak Society, with membership number 238. When measured by staff of the North Carolina Forest Service in 2007, Airlie Oak stood 128 feet (39 meters) tall, had a trunk circumference over 21 feet, and a crown spread of 104 feet (32 meters) when measured. At the time, it was the largest living oak in North Carolina and was recognized as such.
The Mount Lebanon Chapel and Cemetery, which are located on the grounds of the gardens, are worth a visit. The chapel, which was built by Thomas H. Wright in 1835 and is now a part of the parish of St. James Church, is the oldest surviving church structure in New Hanover County and is the oldest surviving church structure in North Carolina.
Airlie Gardens received more than 120,000 visits in the previous year. Their mission is to bring the natural beauty of the garden to the public’s attention while also discussing its history and safeguarding the preservation of the place. Every year, they welcome more than 4000 students to the garden to express their connection to the environment and to safeguard it for future generations to come.
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
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