Bellingrath Gardens and Home
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Bellingrath Gardens and Home
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The Bellingrath Home.
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| Location | 12401 Bellingrath Gardens Road Theodore, Alabama |
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| Coordinates | 30°25′53″N 88°8′22″W / 30.43139°N 88.13944°WCoordinates: 30°25′53″N 88°8′22″W / 30.43139°N 88.13944°W |
| Area | 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) |
| Built | 1925-1949 |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 82001609 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 19, 1982 |
| Designated ARLH | September 14, 1977 |
Bellingrath Gardens and Home is the 65-acre (26 ha) public garden and historic home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath, located on the Fowl River in Theodore, near Mobile, Alabama. Walter Bellingrath was one of the first Coca-Cola bottlers in the Southeast, and with his wealth built the estate garden and home. He and his wife, Bessie, lived in the home which has since been converted into a museum. Since the Gardens opened to the public in 1932, they continue to welcome visitors to enjoy year-round floral pageantry. Ten percent of all membership contributions go to the Bellingrath Gardens and Home Foundation's Endowment Fund. The site was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on September 14, 1977 and on the National Register of Historic Places on October 19, 1982.
Bellingrath Gardens and Home encompasses approximately 900 acres along the Fowl River. Sixty-five acres are cultivated with annual blooms and continuous color. The gardens include a bridal garden, a conservatory, a great lawn, the Harrigon/ExxonMobil Bayou Boardwalk, a nature walk, the Asian-American garden, a rose garden, a chapel, the Mermaid Pool, Mirror Lake, an observation tower, and the Delchamps Gallery of Boehm Porcelain. The garden pathways are composed of flagstone that had been obtained from the old city sidewalks in Mobile, where they had been in place since arriving as ballast in sailing vessels collecting loads of cotton for the mills at Manchester, England. The gardens feature live oaks, camellias, azaleas, roses, and chrysanthemums year round. Plants featured in winter are tulips, snapdragons, pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, daffodils, poppies, primroses, and many varieties of narcissus. Plants featured in spring include the more than 250,000 azaleas, hydrangeas, Easter lilies, impatiens, salvia, fuchsia, and Pelargonium geraniums. Plants featured in summer are the more than 2000 roses, allamandas, hibiscus, copper plants, begonias, ornamental peppers, bougainvillea, caladiums, coleus, vinca, and marigolds. Plants featured in fall are over 8,000 bedded, potted and cascading chrysanthemums, hibiscus, and copper plants. Special events and weddings are held throughout the year in the Gardens.
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