The History of Ballard Greenhouse
In the 18th century, Colonel Philip Burr Bradley, a commander in the Revolutionary War and a personal acquaintance of George Washington, built a country estate in Ridgefield, Connecticut where Ballard Park is now located. L. Horatio and Anna Biglow purchased the property in 1889 and named it Graeloe. The Biglows moved the house farther back from the street and enlarged it significantly. They eventually developed the property into a 14-acre summer estate with beautiful gardens and stately trees. They added the Lord & Burnham greenhouse in 1906.
The estate was passed to the Biglow’s daughter Elizabeth B. Ballard and her husband Edward L. Ballard who used it as their family’s summer residence for more than 40 years. When Elizabeth died in 1964, she bequeathed 5 acres of the 14-acre property to the Town of Ridgefield for a public park, stipulating that the house be demolished. Today the park is the centerpiece of the town’s activities and loved by all.
In 1965, Elizabeth Ballard’s daughters, Elizabeth Ballard Doubleday and Anna Ballard Cerf, generously offered the greenhouse to the Ridgefield Garden Club. They along with Caudatowa Garden Club use Ballard Greenhouse for growing plants, giving lectures, and holding workshops. The greenhouse is also the site of the annual Ballard Greenhouse Plant Sale held every Mother’s Day weekend.
The estate was passed to the Biglow’s daughter Elizabeth B. Ballard and her husband Edward L. Ballard who used it as their family’s summer residence for more than 40 years. When Elizabeth died in 1964, she bequeathed 5 acres of the 14-acre property to the Town of Ridgefield for a public park, stipulating that the house be demolished. Today the park is the centerpiece of the town’s activities and loved by all.
In 1965, Elizabeth Ballard’s daughters, Elizabeth Ballard Doubleday and Anna Ballard Cerf, generously offered the greenhouse to the Ridgefield Garden Club. They along with Caudatowa Garden Club use Ballard Greenhouse for growing plants, giving lectures, and holding workshops. The greenhouse is also the site of the annual Ballard Greenhouse Plant Sale held every Mother’s Day weekend.