Cranbrook’s original lean-to greenhouse was built in 1908; the same year the Booths moved into Cranbrook House. It was located on the southeast side of Cranbrook House and was much smaller than the present-day Conservatory Greenhouse.According to Henry Scripps Booth, the original greenhouse was built because Ellen Scripps Booth loved flowers and it made it possible for Cranbrook House to have flowers year-round.In 1910, a second greenhouse, designed by Burrowes and Wells, was built on the current site (south of the Sunken Garden). Architectural drawings of the 1910 greenhouse are housed in the Cranbrook Archives.Although supporting evidence of this has not been confirmed, it is rumored that the second greenhouse was destroyed in 1920 by a fire.In 1950, a third greenhouse was built by William P. Klemm & Son. This greenhouse is still used today by Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary volunteers for educational purposes, propagation, and plant sales.The greenhouse was significantly renovated by Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary in 2008. Renovations were funded by the Auxiliary Annual Fund and Endowment Fund. In 2013, the Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary Board voted to designate the building as a Conservatory Greenhouse to better its purpose.
Tropical Room
Guests enter the Conservatory Greenhouse through the Tropical Room. This area is anchored by a living wall and a small, rectangular fountain with a statue of Perseus.
Perseus
The sculpture of Perseus was purchased by George Gough Booth in March of 1924 from the J. Chiurazzi & Sons company in Naples, Italy. The 30” bronze statue was given to Henry Scripps Booth and Carolyn Farr Booth who placed it at the pool at their Thornlea home (located east of Cranbrook House across Cranbrook Road, north of Brookside).Perseus was stolen from Thornlea in 1988 and found in August 1999. The sculpture was restored in 2008 and moved to the Conservatory Greenhouse in 2010.
Conservatory
The Tropical Room leads into the main section of the Conservatory Greenhouse, which is divided into three rooms. The first is the Conservatory, which houses a permanent exhibit of tropical plants, a lime tree, pitcher plants, a recently expanded Cactus Garden, a Zen Garden, and a banana tree.
Orchid Room
Beyond the Conservatory, the temperature warms in the Orchid Room, where several different varieties of orchids, including some rare types, are grown. The Orchid Room also features a gentle river that trickles along the length of the room.
Propagation Room
The final area is the Propagation Room, which is mainly used to grow plants for our plant sales.Please visit us to learn more about the Conservatory Greenhouse and our demonstration gardens. We also invite you to join us as a volunteer.HoursClick hereAcknowledgementsThank you to all our Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary members who volunteer in the Conservatory Greenhouse.Historic photographs provided courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.Special thanks to Auxiliary member Maija Stromberg for helping to compose the tour.
