Floral Conservatory
| Other Name(s) | Greenhouse |
|---|---|
| Type | Other |
| Park Section | South The Zoo |
| Built | 1904 |
| Opened | 1905 |
| Closed | Unknown |
The Floral Conservatory, also known as the Greenhouse, was part of the Zoo.[1] Ground was broken for the Greenhouse on Sept. 13, 1904, to house flowers and plants to protect them from the winter frosts.[2] It was built between the Theater and High Street.[3] Some of the flowers were from Good & Reese Co. of Springfield, Missouri.[4]
In 1917, more than $5,000$124,922 in 2025 dollars worth of flowers and foliage was planted throughout the park. This consisted of 50 or more flower beds, several baskets, banana, orange, and lemon trees, and the care of the plants. There was a hanging basket just north of the theater that was almost 25 feet in diameter, making it the largest in the state. It was suspended from heavy cable wires, and it took two men a day to plant rare flowers, ferns, and evergreens. The plants are stored and kept healthy in the greenhouse over the winter months.[5]
Joseph Katona
Park florist and head gardener Joseph Katona had a small hose and was able to save the six greenhouses in 1914 when a fire caused by paint-saturated overalls of a painter laid too close to a boiler caused $700$22,503 in 2025 dollars in damage.[6][7] Joseph Katona came from Budapest in 1904. In Budapest, he was in charge of the royal gardens.[8]
George Groce
George Groce was the park's gardener for at least 8 years, starting in 1913. He began working as a gardener in 1894 and was also the flower gardener at Goodale Park from 1918.[9]
References
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, Ohio). June 14, 1906. Page 2. Accessed through Newspapers.com Clip 1 | Clip 2
- ↑ "Olentangy Park, Theater and Zoological Garden." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 1, 1904. Page 29.
- ↑ "New Greenhouse, Baby Elk, Enlarged Zoo and Landscape Gardening." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Sept. 13, 1904. Page 7.
- ↑ "Columbus, O." The Weekly Florists' Review, May 19, 1904. Vol. 13. Page 1422.
- ↑ "A Golden Flora." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. July 1, 1917. Page 4.
- ↑ "$700 Fire Loss at Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 15, 1914. Page 3.
- ↑ "Park to Open Today." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. April 4, 1920. Page 72.
- ↑ "At Olentangy." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 10, 1914. Page 36.
- ↑ "Turns Barracks Grounds into Veritable Park." The Columbus Dispatch. Aug. 31, 1921. Page 5.