Sayen Park Botanical Garden (30 acres), also known as Sayen House and Gardens, is a municipal park and botanical garden located at 155 Hughes Drive, Hamilton Square, an area within Hamilton Township, New Jersey. The garden is open year-round from dawn to dusk without charge, though park activity is at its peak in the spring.
A botanical garden or botanic garden is a garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation, preservation and display of a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and other succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, shadehouses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants, or other exotic plants. Visitor services at a botanical garden might include tours, educational displays, art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other entertainment.
Mercerville-Hamilton Square is a census-designated place and unincorporated community located within Hamilton Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the CDP's population was 26,419. As part of the 2010 Census, the area was split into two CDPs, Mercerville and Hamilton Square.
Hamilton Township is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The township is within the New York metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau, but directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is part of the Federal Communications Commission's Philadelphia Designated Market Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 88,464, reflecting an increase of 1,355 (+1.6%) from the 87,109 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 556 (+0.6%) from the 86,553 counted in the 1990 Census. The township was the state's 9th-largest municipality, after having been ranked 10th in 2000. The township is located immediately east of the city of Trenton, the state's capital.
The garden began in 1912 when Frederick Sayen (1885–1981) purchased the site with his wife, Anne Mellon (1886–1977), a daughter of the Mellon family. The Sayens built a "bungalow" home in the Arts and Crafts style, though with Victorian interior design, and surrounded it with plants and flowers acquired during world travels. The principal collections include species from China, Japan, and England.
The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential American family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose members include one of the longest serving U.S. Treasury Secretaries.
A bungalow is a type of building, originally developed in the Bengal region of the subcontinent. The meaning of the word bungalow varies internationally. Common features of many bungalows include verandas and being low-rise. In Australia, the California bungalow associated with the United States was popular after the First World War. In North America and the United Kingdom, a bungalow today is a house, normally detached, that may contain a small loft. It is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof, usually with dormer windows.
The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that began in Britain and flourished in Europe and America between about 1880 and 1920, emerging in Japan in the 1920s as the Mingei movement. It stood for traditional craftsmanship using simple forms, and often used medieval, romantic, or folk styles of decoration. It advocated economic and social reform and was essentially anti-industrial. It had a strong influence on the arts in Europe until it was displaced by Modernism in the 1930s, and its influence continued among craft makers, designers, and town planners long afterwards.
The Sayen site became municipal property in 1988, when Hamilton Township purchased the site from developer David Cellars. The park was opened to the public in 1991. The township expanded and improved the park in 2003. [1] Today the garden contains more than 1,000 azaleas, nearly 500 rhododendrons, and more than 250,000 flowering bulbs for spring display, as well as ponds, bridges, gazebos, and walking trails.
Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus Rhododendron, particularly the former sections Tsutsuji (evergreen) and Pentanthera (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks. Shade tolerant, they prefer living near or under trees. They are part of the family Ericaceae.
Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae), either evergreen or deciduous, and found mainly in Asia, although it is also widespread throughout the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains of North America. It is the national flower of Nepal as well as the state flower of West Virginia and Washington. Most species have brightly coloured flowers which bloom from late winter through to early summer.
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area.
Sayen House and Gardens hosts an annual Azalea Festival each Mother's Day, during which Sayen House is open to the public from 10AM to 4PM.
Mother's Day in the United States is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well as the positive contributions that they make to society. It was established by Anna Jarvis, with the first official Mother's Day celebrated at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908. In the United States, Mother's Day complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day, Siblings Day and Grandparents Day.
On September 1, 2006, an article in the Times of Trenton [2] disclosed that New Jersey officials were warned about pollution at the Sayen House and Gardens site three days before the park opened in 1991. According to an anonymous source in 1991, the site had been used "for years" as a dumping ground for "waste chemicals and solid debris" from the now-defunct Mercer Rubber Company site located across the street at 136 Mercer Street. The Mercer Rubber Company was also formerly owned by the Sayen family. Former employees have corroborated the anonymous 1991 complaint, adding that a "pipe underneath the plant carried waste to a stream that ran through the Sayen Gardens property and eventually to Miry Run Brook."
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Northeastern United States. It is a peninsula, bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, particularly along the extent of the length of New York City on its western edge; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on the southwest by the Delaware Bay and Delaware. New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state by area but the 11th-most populous, with 9 million residents as of 2017, and the most densely populated of the 50 U.S. states; its biggest city is Newark. New Jersey lies completely within the combined statistical areas of New York City and Philadelphia and was the second-wealthiest U.S. state by median household income as of 2017.
Mercer Rubber Company is a manufacturer of rubber products. The company was founded in 1865 by the Frederick Sayen family. Mercer Rubber Company operated from a 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) site at 136 Mercer Street in Hamilton Square, an area within Hamilton Township, New Jersey, from 1866 until 1993. The company was purchased from the Sayen family by someone identified in New Jersey government reports only as "Mr. Brennan" in 1977, and from "Mr. Brennan" by Mason Industries in 1983. In January 1993, company operations were relocated to Hauppauge, Suffolk County, New York.
Local residents had noted what they believed to be elevated instances of some types of cancer among people who lived within a one-mile radius of the park. Officials investigated, noting that the instance of certain types of cancer were indeed elevated in the area. They were, however, unable to establish a causal link to the Mercer Rubber Company debris. [3]
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread to other parts of the body. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they may have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans.
At a September 13, 2006 meeting with local residents held at the Nottingham Firehouse, just yards from the old Mercer Rubber site and Sayen Park, state officials admitted to concerned residents that their findings reported in the Public Health Assessment are incomplete. The study did not include testing of groundwater or include data from residents who moved away or those who were diagnosed with cancer before 1979. [4]
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Trenton, the state capital. The county constitutes the Trenton-Ewing, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area and is considered part of the New York Metropolitan Area by the United States Census Bureau, but also directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is included within the Federal Communications Commission's Philadelphia Designated Market Area and the greater Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2017 Census estimate, the county's population was 374,733, making it the state's 12th-most populous county, an increase of 2.2% from the 2010 United States Census, when its population was enumerated at 366,513, in turn an increase of 15,752 (4.5%) from the 350,761 enumerated in the 2000 Census, retaining its position as the 12th-most populous county in the state.
Lawrence Township is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The township is part of the New York Metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau, but directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is part of the Federal Communications Commission's Philadelphia Designated Market Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 33,472, reflecting an increase of 4,313 (+14.8%) from the 29,159 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 3,372 (+13.1%) from the 25,787 counted in the 1990 Census.
Princeton Township was a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, that existed from 1838 until it was dissolved after it was merged with Princeton Borough in 2013 to form Princeton, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 16,265, reflecting an increase of 238 (+1.5%) from the 16,027 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,829 (+21.4%) from the 13,198 counted in the 1990 Census.
Robbinsville Township is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The township is part of the New York Metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau, but directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is part of the Federal Communications Commission's Philadelphia Designated Market Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 13,642, reflecting an increase of 3,367 (+32.8%) from the 10,275 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,460 (+76.7%) from the 5,815 counted in the 1990 Census. The township is named for George R. Robbins, who lived in the area.
West Windsor Township is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, in the United States. The township is part of the New York metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 27,165, reflecting an increase of 5,258 (+24.0%) from the 21,907 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 5,886 (+36.7%) from the 16,021 counted in the 1990 Census.
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest zoological and botanical centres in the world. It occupies an area of 5.6 hectares at Mid-levels, on the northern slope of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Founded in 1864, its first stage had been opened to the public in 1871. It is the oldest park in Hong Kong.
Illegal dumping, also called fly dumping or fly tipping, is the dumping of waste illegally instead of using an authorised method such as kerbside collection or using an authorised rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, including waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste. The United States Environmental Protection Agency developed a “profile” of the typical illegal dumper. Characteristics of offenders include, local residents, construction and landscaping contractors, waste removers, scrap yard operators, and automobile and tire repair shops.
The Wollongong Botanic Garden is located in the Wollongong suburb of Keiraville at the foot of Mount Keira in New South Wales, Australia. It is the local botanical gardens of the Illawarra and was established in 1964. It was opened in September 1970.
The Beaumont Botanical Gardens, also known as the Tyrrell Park Botanical Gardens, includes botanical gardens and the 10,000 sq ft Warren Looseconservatory. The gardens are located in 500 acre Tyrrell Park at 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive, Beaumont, Texas, USA. An extra benefit is that the gardens are located in a migratory bird flyway. Tyrrell Park is listed on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail map.
The Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens is a 1,176-acre (4.76 km2) Florida State Park, botanical garden and historic site, located in Tallahassee, in northwestern Florida. The address is 3540 Thomasville Road.
Rutgers Gardens is the official botanic garden of Rutgers University, located on the outskirts of Cook Campus, at 112 Ryders Lane, North Brunswick, New Jersey. The grounds include 60 acres of designed beds, specialty gardens, tree and shrub collections, lawns, and walking paths, as well as the adjoining 70-acre Frank G. Helyar Woods. A place of learning and beauty, Rutgers Gardens strives to provide a fun, educational, and engaging place for students, faculty, and the community to enjoy the natural world. The gardens are open year-round, without fee, and feature horticultural collections arranged in garden settings. In 2017 it was granted landmark status by the American Society for Horticultural Science.
The Agriculture Street Landfill was a dump in New Orleans, Louisiana. The area was later developed for residential use, with unfortunate environmental consequences. It became a Superfund cleanup site.
Welkinweir is a 197-acre (80 ha) nonprofit arboretum, garden, mansion, and conservation area located at 1368 Prizer Road, East Nantmeal Township, Pennsylvania, United States, near Pottstown. It is part of the Hopewell Big Woods. It is open to the public daily without charge.
Hamilton Gardens is a public garden park in the south of Hamilton owned and managed by Hamilton City Council in New Zealand. The 54-hectare park is based on the banks of the Waikato River and includes enclosed gardens, open lawns, a lake, a nursery, a convention centre and the Hamilton East Cemetery. It is the Waikato Region's most popular visitor attraction, attracting more than 1 million people and hosting more than 2,000 events a year.
The Port Mercer Canal House is a historic house along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. It is located at 4278 Quakerbridge Road in the Port Mercer section of Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, near the border of West Windsor Township and Princeton, New Jersey. The house was built in the 1830s as housing for bridgetender and his family. The bridgetender was needed to open the swing bridge when canal boats came through, then close it to allow traffic to cross over the canal. From approximately 1900 to 1934, the bridgetender was John Arrowsmith. He and his wife lived in the three bedroom house with their eight children. The Arrowsmiths loved living at the house and their children enjoyed sleeping outside by the canal in the summer and skating on the frozen canal to Trenton in the winter.
Below is a timeline of events in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Langan Park, also known as Municipal Park, is a 720-acre (291 ha) municipal park in the Spring Hill neighborhood of Mobile, Alabama, USA. The park opened in 1957 and was named for Joseph N. Langan, a former Mobile mayor, state senator and city commissioner. It has lakes, natural spaces, tennis courts, children’s playgrounds and picnic areas. It is also the site of the Azalea City Golf Course, the Mobile Botanical Gardens, the Mobile Museum of Art and Playhouse in the Park.
Hamilton Square is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Hamilton Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, that is the site of a historic colonial village. Until the 2000 Census the area was part of the Mercerville-Hamilton Square CDP, which was split into two CDPs as of 2010: Mercerville and Hamilton Square. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 12,784.
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