8/18: Springfield, Ohio's Quirky Rock Garden!

After our somewhat somber visit to the Museum of the Air Force outside of Dayton, Ohio last August, Steven and I headed toward the state capital of Columbus. I can't tell you how much we enjoyed stopping first at the lighthearted piece of Americana, Hartman Rock Garden, in the very small town of Springfield. I could see why it has been described as one of the country's "most visionary environments, an outsider art phenomenon where self-taught artists construct fascinating worlds out of concrete, metal, stone, and whatever else they can find." The vision of local foundry worker Ben Hartman, the garden was now owned and maintained by the Friends of the Hartman Rock Garden.

After Hartman moved from Pennsylvania to Springfield in 1913, he worked as a molder at the nearby Machine Tool Company foundry until 1932 when he was laid off at the age of 48 in the middle of the Great Depression. 

Bored with all the extra time on his hands, he began constructing a small cement fishing pond in the backyard of his home that was located in a mostly rural area on the outskirts of town. That spurred him for the remaining twelve years of his life to build hundreds of structures and figurines for the garden, following the themes of history, religion, and patriotism. 

After dying in 1944 from silicosis, an occupational lung disease, his second and much younger wife, Mary, took on the monumental task of not just maintaining the garden but also giving tours, and adding small details for the next fifty-three years. Though visitors may have seen it as just a rock garden, she described it as a 'garden of love.' Mary passed away in 1997 at the age of 91 after caring for the garden for sixty-five years.

Though the entire garden started with the cement pond, for some reason the only part I captured was here by the Lighthouse and Lady Justice Donation Box! Ben had the Lady Justice figurine holding a carpenter square and almost looking as if she were standing guard over a repurposed mailbox. That was his way of hinting that he expected a 'square deal' from all visitors or that they should donate what they could after enjoying the garden.

Ben liked to personalize the cement pathways winding through the garden with his own pithy sayings or words of wisdom. Among the ones we saw were 'Let us smile,' and 'Seek the good in life.' He also included names of loved ones in stone throughout the garden.

The 14-foot-tall Cathedral was not only the largest structure in the garden but also the most remarkable as it was modeled after several cathedrals in Italy and contained several niches and arches holding religious figures.

Look at his remarkable version of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper!

You certainly couldn't have such a large garden without an iconic Castle, now could you?! Built with around 100,000 stones, a drawbridge, moat, and 107 windows, this wasn't your garden-variety castle either! It was likely based on a castle in West Virginia that he had seen on a postcard Mary had received from a friend.

Because the Village and Farm House was a favorite for Ben's daughters, Martha and Ruth, he placed many small stones painted like watermelon and cantaloupe outside! What child would want a dollhouse when his or her Dad would create such a fabulous village for goodness' sake?!

In Death Valley, a twenty mule train pulled wagons made famous by Borax ads that aired during Death Valley Days, one of Ben's famous radio programs. Steven and I spent two days this past December wandering around much of Death Valley with our youngest child. I hope you will enjoy reading those posts in several month's time!

Words to follow from a bygone age: Concrete pathways in the garden were inset with pithy adages: "No Place Like Home and Mother." "Baby Your Mother Becus She Babied You." "Honor Thy Mother and Don't Forget Your Dad." Some of these were variations on the titles of popular songs of the day because Ben listened to the radio while he worked. 

It would have been hard to think of a more patriotic structure than Hartman's Tree of Life in the garden as it represented the three themes he considered to be the most important in life: country, school, and church. The seven-foot personified tree was in the shape of a Saguaro cactus. 

One 'hand' of the cactus held a schoolhouse and the other a tiny church. Note the eagle at the top perched on the face or globe with the US written in stone. When you click on the photo to make it bigger, you can see two cement doves representing purity and peace resting on the right arm. The face aka shield was decorated like an American flag. If you like facts and figures, Ben estimated he used 20,000 stones in just this one monument!

This Rose Basket flower bed, the former home to several of Ben's handcrafted figurines, was the scene for children's stories and nursery rhymes. He used elements in the garden his children's friends would recognize from Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Jack and Jill, etc.

Another cactus-shaped flower garden:

Ben's wife, Mary, called these structures God's Gift to the World as they depicted important events in Jesus' life and were a testament to Ben's strong Christian faith.

The nativity scene on the left obviously represented His birth.

The tiered temple depicted Jesus' teachings and the empty tomb underneath made us think of His resurrection.

Liberty Bell and Flanders Field was another example of Ben's sense of patriotism that he imbued in his garden. The replica of Philadelphia's Liberty Bell even had the same crack!! The bell hung over a miniature representation of WW I's Flanders Field in Belgium and contained tiny crosses and figures of fighting and fallen soldiers. 

Lincoln's Cabin, a replica of President Abraham Lincoln's log cabin, was located on the east side of the garden. It was based on one of his rare trips away from Springfield. Ben used stones embedded in concrete in the front to write "America Needs More Log Cabin Honest Abe!"

The Betsy Ross Home was a tribute to the woman credited for sewing the first American flag. In the main window was an image of Ross sewing the flag. Ben's pacifist nature was illustrated by his stone sayings embedded in concrete "Let it Wave in Peace" and "War is Hell."

Of the several structures Ben built of his adopted hometown of Springfield, one was of the Reco Sporting Goods Store where he often purchased fishing equipment. 

Dispersed throughout the garden were lots of succulents, plants that seemed unusual in the American Midwest. The Oregon Trail section held Ben's collection of Indigenous figurines. As you might imagine, I had to stoop pretty low to get the proper perspective!

This tiny version of Noah's Ark included 14 miniature pairs of animals marching up the walkway and several groups of birds on the roof.

It's a pretty safe bet you've never spotted a stone canoe before! Ben and Mary always loved planting pansies in their Canoe. There used to be a sign in it that encouraged people to "Paddle Your Own Canoe," which was Ben's way of encouraging visitors to go it alone and decide their own fate.

In the Wishing Well was an almost life-sized bucket referred to as the 'old oaken bucket,' a link to a popular poem Ben liked. 

I chose to include this photo to give you a sense of the garden's scale; the Red House only came up to about a foot high below the house siding. I marveled at how Ben must have spent years and years stooping down or on his stomach to build his fanciful miniature garden. 

At the height of the Great Depression between 1931 and 1936, Hoover Dam, a concrete dam was constructed in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. Because it was such an engineering marvel, it captured so many Americans' attention, including Ben's. By the way, it certainly caught our fancy, too, when Steven and I walked over part of it for the second time this past December on our Southwest road trip. 

Apparently, Ben used the Heart Man design as his personal emblem as a play on his last name of Hartman.

Independence Hall was made of concrete and broken red brick.

The Maxwell Coffee Cup and Saucer was a none too subtle nod to Hartman's love of coffee. Mary used to say she always had to have a pot of Maxwell House coffee brewing when Ben was working!

The North Portico of the White House was made of concrete and granite.

No detail was omitted by Hartman. Even the stained glass window in the Little Church Around the Corner was filled with colored glass. The church was modeled after the famous Church of the Transfiguration in NYC where prominent couples of the era were married. We didn't stoop down to look at the interior's carpeting and furniture.

Because Hartman was a fan of American history, he built a replica of Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington in Virginia. He even included a miniature figure of Washington on horseback and the slave structure. The structure was one of many Hartman dedicated to historical events and places. 

At an opening in his fence, Ben placed busts of Tecumseh and Christopher Columbus, symbols of the country's early inhabitants. 

I read that the Cherub Gateway was believed to be Hartman's interpretation of the Gateway to Heaven and was one of the last things he created before his death. I don't know what happened to the religious figurines and Madonna statuettes that had once filled the openings. Fortunately, two large cherubs still capped the opening.

If you're ever anywhere near Springfield, Ohio, I can't tell you how much I recommend you also stop at this quirky roadside attraction. Believe it or not, these photos really only touched on all there is to see at the Hartman Rock Garden! I tried to capture some of the most unusual and/or historical structures but there were so many more that might appeal to you. At the very least, you won't be able to keep from being amazed at one man's dedication and artistic genius. 

Next post: Chihuly's magnificent glass creations at the Frankin Conservatory and Botanic Gardens in Columbus, Ohio.

Posted finally on February 10th, 2021, from our home near Denver as we're facing an unusually cold front. When I write the next post, I certainly won't be able to comment or brag about how we're enjoying mild temperatures and there's no need for coats. Brrr! I hope you will stay safe, healthy, and warm.