Botanical Garden and Greenhouse
Located on the old campus, the garden and greenhouse were an important educational tool at Washington College, now Trinity College. The garden was planted in 1825 and the greenhouse was built in 1828, following the garden's great success.
In the early days of the College, an important emphasis was placed on the physical activity of students. The creation of the garden was motivated by the hope that students would work actively in the space, learning through direct contact and experience. The funding was allocated from a larger campaign to expand the College's natural sciences resources.
The garden received many gifts, including the seeds of over 300 plants from Monsieur Bosc, a professor at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. By the summer of 1828, the garden reportedly housed over 1,000 different plants. Thomas Nuttall, F. R. S., Director of the Botanic Garden at Cambridge, England, sent a collection of plants, including some exotics from South America, to the College. This, as well as the success of the garden, prompted the building of the greenhouse.
The original professors tasked with the upkeep of the garden–Professor Frederick Hall and Dr. John Smyth Rogers–took the role quite seriously. Dr. Rogers in particular went as far as setting up a chemistry laboratory to accompany the garden, supposedly with his own funds. However, the next professor to care for the garden, Dr. Sumner, was already overwhelmed with responsibilities. The garden failed to be a priority and by 1835, became overgrown with weeds.
Years later, a patch of flowers grew where the garden once sat.