Pass Christian -- Middlegate Japanese Gardens
Object Details
sova.aag.gca_ref9174
- General
- Located on three acres in the town of Pass Christian, Mississippi is the site of Middlegate Japanese garden. Its original owners, Rudolph and Lynne Watkins Hecht were inspired by a 1924 trip to Japan and began cultivating their own Japanese-style garden upon their return. Middlegate was opened to the public in the mid-1930s. In addition to public visiting hours, the Hechts frequently held private family events and even hosted dignitaries from abroad in their sunken garden. Private family events included an annual Easter egg hunt, weddings, and 4th of July celebrations.
- An azalea lined path at the entrance of the garden led to a Torri gate, revealing a Shinto temple and a jasmine covered arbor. A bamboo walk featured a fountain, two monumental Japanese stone lanterns, and Japanese sculpture. A small red, lacquered "wishing" bridge led to a blue-tiled tea house with a Buddha sitting on a lotus blossom elevated twenty feet in the air sittings opposite the bridge. A large sunken garden with a fountain, fronting a guesthouse included lotus blooms, shrubs and trees. Traditional Japanese garden features and furnishings included stone lanterns, a Torri gate, a Buddha shrine, a rickshaw, sculptures, bridges, and stone pagodas. Other garden features included gazebos, arbors, terraces, a guesthouse, two teahouses, and a bath house. Water features such as waterfalls, a swimming pool, lakes, fish and lily ponds, and reflecting pools were scattered throughout the grounds.
- In August 1969, Middlegate Japanese garden suffered damage when Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf coast. In August 2005, Middlegate Japanese garden was extensively damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
- The garden possessed a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines, both native and imported. Plantings included forsythia, boxwood, weeping willow, English ivy, white and yellow jasmine bushes, timber bamboo, giant bamboo, Japanese cherry trees, Japanese maple, Mediterranean fan palm, Japanese plum trees, magnolia trees, pine trees, peach trees, almond trees, pecan trees, live oaks, lotus blossoms, azaleas, and Camellia japonica.
- Persons associated with the property include: Mrs. Lynn Boyd Watkins (former owner, 1911-1923); Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph S. Hecht (former owner, 1923-1961); Rathbone DeBuys (architect, 1920s-1930s), Obata Takumi (sculptor, 1735)
- Former owner
- Hecht, Rudolph S., 1885 - 1956
- Landscape architect
- DeBuys, Rathbone, 1875-1960
- Provenance
- New Orleans Town Gardeners, Inc.
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Middlegate Japanese Gardens (Pass Christian, Mississippi)
- United States of America -- Mississippi -- Harrison County -- Pass Christian
- Topic
- Gardens -- Mississippi -- Pass Christian
- Former owner
- Hecht, Rudolph S., 1885 - 1956
- Landscape architect
- DeBuys, Rathbone, 1875-1960
- Provenance
- New Orleans Town Gardeners, Inc.
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Mississippi
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Custodial History
- The New Orleans Town Gardeners facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File MS040
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Bibliography
- This property was featured in Country Life magazine, March 1935, New Orleans States Item newspaper, November 1946, Around the Face of the Globe, published in October 1952, Pass Christian Discovered published in 1997, and a 2004 thesis, "Middlegate Japanese Gardens: Preservation, Private Property and Public Memory".
- Scope and Contents
- This folder includes: photographs, correspondences, drawings, invoices, purchase orders, garden designs, newspaper articles, magazine articles, a thesis, and party invitations.
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
AAG.GCA_ref9174
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6c6c8d6f6-08a0-4b0a-838b-b03bfdd33c37
AAG.GCA
AAG
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210181487-1
1 result(s)
-
The Garden Club of America collection
sova.aag.gca
- Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Names
- New York Flower Show
- Topic
- Gardens -- France
- Gardens -- Italy
- Gardens -- Japan
- Gardens -- Mexico
- Flower shows
- Gardening -- United States -- societies, etc
- Gardens -- England
- Landscape architecture
- Gardens -- United States
- Gardens -- Spain
- Gardens -- Scotland
- Creator
- Garden Club of America
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Summary
- The Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Gardens contains over 100,000 images (lantern slides, 35mm slides, photographs, and digital images) and garden files that document thousands of historic and contemporary gardens (public and private) across the United States. Each garden file includes a range of documentation such as descriptive information, photocopied articles from journals, newspapers, or books, planting lists, correspondence, and/or landscape plans and drawings. These files have been compiled by members of The Garden Club of America (GCA). Some of the gardens in the GCA Collection have been photographed over the course of several decades; others are documented at a single point in time. In addition to images of American gardens, there are glass lantern slides of the New York Flower Show (1941-1951) and trips that GCA members took to other countries, including Mexico (1937), Italy, Spain, Japan (1935), France (1936), England (1929), and Scotland. A number of the slides are copies of historic images from outside repositories including horticultural and historical societies or from horticultural books and publications. The GCA made a concerted effort in the mid-1980s to acquire these images in order to increase its documentation of American garden history. Because of copyright considerations, use of these particular images may be restricted.
- Accruals note
- The GCA continues to document American gardens and submit images and documentation to the Archives of American Gardens. Further accruals are expected.
- Biographical/Historical note
- The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. The GCA was incorporated in Delaware in 1923, with its headquarters established in New York City. Today, local clubs are organized under twelve regional zones. The GCA continues its tradition of hosting flower shows and publishing material related to gardening in the United States. The GCA's glass lantern slides were used by The GCA for presentations and lectures about notable gardens throughout the United States dating back to colonial times. An effort was made in the late 1980s, in preparation of the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of America's founding, to collect the disbursed slides. These slides were to eventually form the Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens. The informational value of this collection is extensive since a number of images of the more than 4,500 gardens represented show garden designs that have changed over time or no longer exist. While the majority of images document a range of designed upper and upper-middle class gardens throughout the U.S., the scope of the collection is expanding as volunteers photograph and document contemporary gardens including community and vernacular gardens. The gardens illustrate the design work of dozens of landscape architects including Marian Coffin, Beatrix Farrand, Lawrence Halprin, Hare & Hare, Umberto Innocenti, Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen, Warren Manning, the Olmsted Brothers, Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and Fletcher Steele. Because of their proximity to the gardens, works of notable architects and sculptors may also be featured in the images.
- Extent
- 37000 Slides (photographs) (35mm slides)
- 33 Linear feet ((garden files))
- 3,000 Lantern slides
- Date
- circa 1920-present
- Custodial History note
- The GCA's Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1992; this became the core collection of the Archives of American Gardens.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Slides (photographs)
- Lantern slides
- Plans (drawings)
- Brochures
- Articles
- Correspondence
- Clippings
- Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Genre/Form
- Plans (drawings)
- Brochures
- Articles
- Correspondence
- Clippings
- Lantern slides
- Slides (photographs)
- Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
AAG.GCALarge EADhttps://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47AAG.GCAAAG- Record ID
- ebl-1562776092361-1562776095300-0