Kimberly Burkard
Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park
151 Charlotte Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424
(585)394-4922
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Sonnenberg Gardens Received Award
CANANDAIGUA – Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park has been awarded the Garden Club of America Zone Historic Preservation Commendation. The Garden Club of America is a national organization founded in 1913 whose purpose is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening; to share the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence, and publications; and to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement. Zone III of the Garden Club of America consists of 23 clubs and 1800 members across the State of New York.
Rochester based, Allyn’s Creek Garden Club, nominated Sonnenberg Gardens for this honor. The national committee agreed with Allyn’s Creek nomination based on Sonnenberg’s determination and perseverance in bringing the park back to its former glory. The award will be presented at a luncheon at the Strathallan Hotel in Rochester on Friday, June 21.
Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is one of America’s longest surviving estates from the Victorian Era. The elegant Queen Anne-style mansion was built in 1887 in Canandaigua by New York City financier Frederick Ferris Thompson, and his wife, Mary Clark Thompson, as a summer home. Between 1901 and 1920, the widowed Mrs. Thompson and her staff created the nine formal gardens seen today. The grounds are open to the public from May 1 through October 31 each year. Sonnenberg is a non-profit organization dependent upon the support of members and sponsors and its dedicated corps of volunteers. For more information on the revival of the grand estate on the “sunny hill,” contact Marketing Director Kimberly Burkard or Executive Director David Hutchings at 585-394-4922.
