Described as the oldest conservatory in the United States, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory can be found in Detroit, Michigan. When I first saw it I wondered why it looked so familiar, but apparently it is modelled on Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson that appeared on the five-cent coin of the US from 1938-2003. So anyone who has visited the USA will unwittingly have seen it every time they received change.
Monticello was inspired by Palladian Architecture of the Georgian Period with its double cube proportions and symmetry. (But it did include a ‘greenhouse’ in its Southeast Piazza, that Jefferson used for growing plants – however it’s more like an orangery than a greenhouse).
The Anna Scripps Whitcomb conservatory was built in 1904, so this probably means it is the oldest still standing conservatory in the US as we know that the conservatory in Central Park was built in 1898 and no longer stands.
The architect of what was then known as the Belle Isle Conservatory was Albert Kahn who was a famous at the time for his work for Henry Ford and the building of factories for Ford at Highland Park and River Rouge. Originally it was built with wooden beams, which just goes to underline the strength of wood in conservatory construction, although these were replaced with aluminium during rebuilding between 1952-54.
The conservatory covers more than an acre and has an imposing central dome 85 feet high in the centre of the north and south wings. During World War II many rare orchids from Britain were transplanted to the conservatory to ensure their survival and in 1953 it was renamed the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory in thanks to the lady of that name who had left her 600-plant orchid collection to the City of Detroit. This gift and subsequent donations now make the conservatory home to one of the largest collections in the United States.
The south wing of the conservatory contains tropical plants including bananas, oranges, coffee and the aforementioned orchids. The north wing houses a collection of ferns, cacti and succulents.
The conservatory is going through a continuing programme of restoration; in 2006, 500 broken and chipped panes of glass were replaced; the glass in the dome cleaned inside and out and the heating system replaced. More recently the vents in the Dome were repaired.
The conservatory is open to the public between 10.00am and 5.00pm every day of the year and admission is free.
