Torii, Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
Be silent my dear, and enjoy the scene
as we walk in this Japanese Garden serene.
- From Walking In A Japanese Garden, Joyce Hemsley and John William McGrath III
The Wells Japanese Garden in Newberry, SC is a fine place to rest the mind and refresh the senses if traveling through town. It’s small, occupying about one half acre. You might have to ask directions. Then you might have to ask again.
It once belonged to the Wells family. W. Fulmer Wells (1903-1980), a young student of architecture, was captivated with the Japanese Tea Garden that he’d visited near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. So, he designed this small oasis for his family’s estate in Newberry. His father, Henry Burton Wells, Sr. (1874-1940), had it built in 1930.
The senior Wells was well-known in town, having joined the local fire brigade at the age of 14 as a coal cart boy. He served the Excelsior Fire Company in several capacities, including Fire Chief from 1905.
Tea House, Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
The garden is
entered through a side entrance off the street, above which a sign explains a
bit of its history. Main features include a stone temple, a torii, cast
lanterns, small ponds planted with lotus and Japanese iris, and spanned by
bridges in a Japanese style. A teahouse provides a quiet place to rest. Indigenous
and exotic species include Japanese maples, crapemyrtles, bamboo, ferns,
hostas, gardenias, Japanese euonymus, nandinas and bald cypress.
Garden maintenance apparently occurs when someone from town notices that the place looks a little run-down. It’s about time. Nevertheless, it’s worth visiting to enjoy a few minutes of serenity.
Wells Japanese Garden was donated to the City of Newberry in 1971 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is open daily.
Historic Newberry, SC |
Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC |
Follow me now to see more of Wells Japanese Garden in Newberry, SC.
Entrance, Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
"Temple", Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
Lotus blossom, Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
Woodwardia ferns, Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
Wells Japanese Garden, Newberry, SC |
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