Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Introduction
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Images
Designed by famous architect Albert Kahn, the conservatory features permanent displays of rare flora, including one of the largest collections of orchids in the nation.
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
The dome of the conservatory
View inside the Palm House dome
Construction of the conservatory in 1902
Visitors to the conservatory in 1905
Backstory and Context
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The conservatory opened on Aug. 18, 1904, the same day as its neighbor, the Belle Isle Aquarium. Both were designed by Albert Kahn and were once connected by an enclosed walkway. The building’s frame was originally constructed with wood salvaged from the St. Louis World’s Fair, which was later replaced with a steel and aluminum frame. The conservatory is divided into five sections: the Palm House, the Tropical House, the Show Room, the Cactus House, and the Fernery. The 85-foot-tall dome houses tall palm trees, which must be cut down once they reach the maximum height of the dome. In 1936, a lily pond and the Levi L. Barbour Memorial Fountain (sculpted by Marshall Fredericks) were added to the formal gardens. 1
For the first 51 years of its existence, the building was known as simply the Conservatory or the Horticulture Building. In April 1955, Anna Scripps Whitcomb, daughter of Detroit Evening News founder James E. Scripps, gave her collection of 600 orchids to the conservatory. Many of these exotic orchids were saved from Britain during World War II, and the conservatory was renamed in her honor in gratitude. 2
Beautifully maintained by the DNR and located just a few minutes from downtown Detroit, the conservatory is an attraction for plant lovers and historians who admire the location’s historic significance and timeless beauty. Today, it remains one of the most beautiful conservatories in the nation, surrounded by the 982-acre Belle Isle Conservancy Park.