History In Progress: Rehabilitating Rose Hill’s Landscape
By Mel Oles,Visitor Services and Program Manager at Rose Hill Mansion and Johnston House
From the first-known structure (a log cabin built by Daniel Earl in the early 1790s) to a modern historic house museum visited every year by thousands of people, Rose Hill has gone through many transformations over the years. The historic site is not frozen in time but a hub for the community, an educational venue, and tourist destination. Rose Hill has always been a place of history in the making but over the next few years we will be highlighting the past, present and future.
Rose Hill has been the home to many people. The Carriage House was built circa 1809 during Robert Rose’s ownership of the property (1803-1837). The two-story dwelling with an attached kitchen was the Rose family home. The Strong family separated the house from the kitchen. The house was then moved several feet and converted into a carriage house. The mansion was built around the kitchen. During Edgar Boody’s ownership of the property (1913-1932) the Carriage House became a garage with housing for farm workers on the second floor. Currently the Carriage House Visitor Center and Gift Shop is on the first floor. The second floor is staff housing. Over two hundred years later it is one of the only buildings still being used as its original intention.
Before and after images of the East Tenant Cottage at Rose Hill
One of the most drastic changes at Rose Hill is the Tenant Cottages on the north side of the property. The West and East Tenant Cottages date to Edgar Boody’s ownership. Both buildings served as homes for most of the 20th century. The East Tenant Cottage was renovated in 2019 into an exhibit space with public restrooms. The West Tenant Cottage has been an antique store (1985 to early 2000s) and Billsboro Winery Tasting Room (2012 to 2017). It was renovated in 2021 into a vacation rental.
Like the buildings, the grounds have changed over the years. One of the many changes is the gardens, especially the formal garden. The first formal garden was added when the mansion was built in the late 1830s. It was altered by the Swan family in the 1850s. Based on a 1938 aerial photograph of the property, the formal garden is completely gone. An English boxwood garden was planted in the 1970s with paths and a sundial. It was removed in 2019 due to overgrowth.
Based on a Cultural Landscape Report, a plan has been developed to rehabilitate the mansion’s grounds. The grounds have been divided into four distinct areas with an overall goal and actions steps.
- Front of the Mansion: Recreate the front of the mid-19th century farm estate.
- Southside of the Mansion: Recreate the mid-19th century formal garden with outbuildings.
- Back of the Mansion: Recreate the backyard and courtyard as a workspace for a mid-19th century farm.
- Visitor Areas: Provide visitor-friendly landscape.
Our “History in Progress” project will take several years to complete. Among the plans is recreating the formal garden.
Rose Hill is much more than a historic site. It is a dynamic place where history is not just remembered but actively engaged with. Through the landscape plan we hope Rose Hill will become an example of how the past can inform the present and inspire the future. We will be providing updates through blog and newsletter articles, social media, and more. If you want to know more about our “History in Progress” follow us on social media or join our email list.
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Great chronologically and reporting of things to come and look forward to.
Thanks, Mel