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The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery is the only remaining freestanding Victorian fernery in North America. The Fernery documents a time when Victorians were consumed with ferns and glasshouses. It was designed by the original owner and namesake of the Arboretum, John Morris. The Fernery nestles in a curve of land below the Rose Garden, its filigree roof sparkling in the sunlight. Over the decades, the Fernery fell into disrepair and was renovated a number of times. In 1957, Arboretum staff spared the Fernery from certain destruction by replacing the unique carved roof with a traditional sloping roof and updating the heating system. To return the Fernery to its original Victorian essence, the Arboretum completed a meticulous restoration in 1994, funded by board member Dorrance H. Hamilton and other donors who responded to a major matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The $1.2 million renovation included reconstruction of the curving roof, replacing the electrical and heating systems, as well as restoring the waterfalls, pools, and stone walls. The rustic wooden bridge was replaced with a new structure hewn from Arboretum cypresses. In front of the Fernery, an elegant bluestone plaza now welcomes visitors.
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