Horticultural Hall

By most contemporary accounts the most beautiful building of the Centennial, Horticultural Hall was intended to remain after the Exhibition as a permanent botanical conservatory. The structure, designed in what was described as the Moresque style of the 12th Century, was one in a long tradition of glass and steel houses made popular after the Crystal Palace Exhibition at London in 1851. It was the largest building of its kind yet constructed, seeming to float over the surrounding pools and flower beds, a reflection of the Victorian passion for nature.

The interior of the main conservatory, a light-filled expanse of exotic greenery, was centered on a marble fountain designed by American sculptor Margaret Foley, disappointed at the time that her work was not to be exhibited in Memorial Hall. The natural and singular setting afforded her work far more attention than it would have received in the crowded art gallery.

Horticultural Hall was a revelation to most Americans who were not used to seeing such exotic flora, and if some of the specimens exhibited --gladiolus, hyacinths, eucalyptus, ferns, date palms, orange trees, bananas, orchids, cacti-- do not seem exotic to us, it should be remembered that many species, such as the chrysanthemum, had been introduced to America barely a generation before.

The conservatory included not only plantings but also extensive displays of seeds, gardening implements, and propagation rooms, and was surrounded by 35 acres of outdoor gardens. In addition, the Centennial was extensively planted in gardens along Fountain Avenue and throughout the grounds.

© 2001 Free Library of Philadelphia