Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory - Detroit, Michigan - acre garden with greenhouse on Belle Isle
The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is a acre botanical garden with greenhouse located on Belle Isle in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built in , it is the oldest conservatory in the country. Designed by Albert Kahn, a well-known architect, the original conservatory was rebuilt between to At that point the building, which had been made of wood, was given a new skeleton of steel and other metal. In , the Conservatory was renamed for Anna Scripps Whitcomb, a Detroit native who bequeathed her collection of orchid plants to the city.
With Whitcomb's gift and other generous donations, the Anna Cripps Whitcomb Conservatory now houses one of the largest and most varied collections of orchids in the United States. In fact, the reputation of the Whitcomb Conservatory was so well-known that during World War II, rare orchid specimens that were rescued from the bombing in Great Britain were taken to the conservatory for preservation.
The greenhouse that houses the orchid collection, which is owned by the city of Detroit, is set in a acre botanical garden. The conservatory takes up more th
March 5,
Today is the birthday of Anna Scripps Whitcomb.
Anna was born to James and Harriet Scripps. Anna's father was an entrepreneur; he founded the Detroit News and helped found the Detroit Museum of Art.
In , Anna married Edgar Whitcomb and together they raised two children. The couple lived on a beautiful estate in Gross Pointe and along the way, Anna nurtured her passion for orchids. The Whitcomb property boasted two large greenhouses which were largely devoted to orchids.
During the first half of the s, Orchids were still very challenging to grow and they had a very poor germination rate. Anna’s success with orchids was in large part thanks to her longtime gardener and propagator William Crichton who worked for Anna for almost 30 years. William often had the help of a small staff of gardeners and the team worked together to show many of Anna’s orchids at the Detroit Flower Show.
A charming article about Anna’s orchids highlighted William’s expertise this way,
“With a fine brush, [William] transferred the pollen of one gorgeous flower to another. The seed pod of the fertilized flower would contain a quarter million seeds, a few hundred thousand of which would b
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Offers FREE Fun On Belle Isle
After a multi-year closure, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is open to the public following a multi-million-dollar renovation project.
When you need an island paradise but, on a budget, and afternoon timeline, head to Belle Isle and spend time at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. The conservatory, designed by famed architect Albert Kahn, features an indoor display of plants from around the world, outdoor seasonal flora beds and a lily-koi pond. Ask for a scavenger hunt when you enter (they have different options for different ages) to help your kids get more exceited about the visit and be rewarded with a stamp before you leave.
The conservatory is open from 10am to 5pm, Wednesday through Sunday and offers FREE admission (donations are accepted).
Next door to the conservatory you&#;ll find the Belle Isle Aquarium (the oldest aquarium in the continental United States). The aquarium also offers FREE admission and is open Fridays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
Want more FREE fun?! Before leaving the isle, stop by the Belle Isle Nature Center. One of our favorite FREE destinations in metro Detro
The Family
James Edmund Scripps arrived in Detroit in and soon after became manager of the Detroit Tribune newspaper. In , with insurance proceeds, he launched his own paper, The Evening News (later The Detroit News), to appeal to the growing class of working men and women. The paper became a great success and with his vast fortune, Scripps was able to acquire a significant collection of Old Master paintings during a five month European tour.
He went on to figure prominently in the founding of the Detroit Museum of Art. In he helped establish the museum with a gift of $50, and in , he presented the museum with a collection of 70 paintings costing $75, - a very substantial sum in those days. This was the beginning of a family history of major gifts to what was to become the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Scripps and his wife Harriet (Messenger) had four children, Ellen, Anna, Grace and William. Their eldest daughter, Ellen Warren Scripps (), married George Gough Booth. Booth worked for his father-in-law at the newspaper and later was involved in the founding of the Booth Newspaper chain. He and Ellen are also notable for their philanthropy and museum support.
In , the Scripps'
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