If you happen to be in Springfield, Ohio, visit this small garden along Russell Avenue! It is called Hartman Rock Garden — an American folk art site!

The Hartman Rock Garden is one of America’s most intriguing visionary environments, an outsider art phenomenon where self-taught artists construct fascinating worlds out of concrete, metal, stone, and whatever else they can find.

Constructed between 1932 and 1944, the Hartman Rock Garden was the vision of local foundry worker Ben Hartman.

History of Hartman Rock Garden

Ben Hartman was born in 1883 in Edenville, Pennsylvania. He moved to Springfield, Ohio in 1913, where he worked as a molder at the nearby Springfield Machine Tool Company foundry. In 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, Ben was laid off from his job. Not content with his newly-sedentary lifestyle, he began constructing a cement fishing pond in his backyard. By the time the project was finished, Ben was hooked. For the remaining twelve years of his life, he constructed hundreds structures and figurines for the garden, following the themes of history, religion, and patriotism.

In 1944, Ben died from silicosis, an occupational lung disease. For the next fifty-three years, his wife Mary took on the monumental task of maintaining the garden, caring for the wide array of flowers, preserving Ben’s intriguing structures, giving tours, and even adding small details where she saw it. In 1997, after caring for the garden for sixty-five years, Mary passed away at the age of 91.

In 2008, the Wisconsin-based Kohler Foundation, known for its involvement in the preservation of significant folk art sites, purchased and began restoring Ben and Mary’s masterpiece. Local citizens formed the Friends of the Hartman Rock Garden the following year to continue the preservation and interpretation of this visionary environment. Since its creation in 1932, Hartman’s Historical Rock Garden has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.

Address.

1905 Russell Ave, Springfield, Ohio 45506

Visiting Hours.

Opens everyday from 9AM to 5PM.

Entrance Fee.

FREE attraction! There is a donation box at the garden if someone wishes to donate.

How It Looks.

Here is a 360-degree photo I took to give you an idea of how the surroundings look. It is pretty amazing! Use your mouse to scroll through the image.

Nearby Attractions.

Adena Mound at Indian Mound Reserve Park in Cedarville Ohio (about 20-minute drive)

National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (22-minute drive)

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (23-minute drive)

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