The Turner Pavilion
One of the features of Holiday Traditions this year was the
transformation of the Turner Pavilion into Santa’s Cabin.
Children and their families walked through the Christmas decorated Oak Allee, past the Candy Cane Garden and through the back door of the cabin to visit RBG’s Santa Claus. What a wonderful use for the teahouse!
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| Looking back at RBG Centre. |
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| Oak Allee leading from RBG Centre to Turner Pavilion |
So, that leads one to wondering about the history of Turner
Pavilion. J. Austin Floyd was the
Landscape Architect who developed the master plan for Hendrie Park in the early
1960’s to include a pavilion. With the development of the Centennial Rose
Garden in Hendrie Park people realized that the long walkway from RBG
Headquarters needed a focus at the end and so in 1966 a building fund was
established to erect such a structure.
Miss Edith H. Turner came forward with a substantial
contribution and so the pavilion, designed by Hamilton Architect Alex German,
was erected and officially opened on June 22, 1974. Miss Turner requested that the building be
dedicated to the memory of her parents, Sarah and George A. Turner. George was a developer in the north east area
of Hamilton. Edith, who never worked,
accrued her wealth by turning the $250,000 she inherited from her parents into
millions through successfully playing the stock market. Other RBG projects have benefited from her
donations. Edith H. Turner died in 1983.
The Edith H. Turner Foundation Fund exists today with the purpose of assisting
and providing funds in the fields of education, health, humanities and social
development in Hamilton. The Hamilton Community Foundation manages these funds.
Read more about this foundation in a recent Spectator article. http://www.thespec.com/living-story/4594306-paul-wilson-the-best-friend-hamilton-s-never-heard-of/
The original use of the Turner Pavilion was the provision of
public restrooms in Hendrie and a sales station that was operated by the
Auxiliary. The garden staff were given storage facilities in the
basement. However, with the expansion of
RBG Headquarters, the Auxiliary was able to move its sales station to the
Floral Art Shop in the Centre. The
Pavilion was converted to a tearoom for use by visitors to the Gardens.
