Rutgers Gardens - History

History

• The Gardens were created in 1927.
• The name of Rutgers Gardens is strongly associated with that of "Doc" Hamilton. In the 1990s, despite strong opposition, Rutgers, the New Jersey State University, planned to sell Rutgers Gardens for urban development; the Garden State was about to destroy some of its own most valuable gardens. In 1993, Dr. Bruce Hamilton, Rutgers professor, accepted responsibility for directing the Gardens' management and funding. Thanks to his outstanding dedication, to generous supporters and to the work of many volunteers, the Gardens survived for everybody's enjoyment. Without his efforts, the Gardens, the native forest, the brook near the bamboo forest and many natural features would likely be severely impaired or nonexistent today.
• Rutgers Gardens is now managed by its director, Bruce Crawford, and Laura Lawson, chair of Rutgers' Department of Landscape Architecture.