Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Arboretum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arbor Lodge State Historical Park |
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 Arbor Lodge State Historical Park
Location in Nebraska
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| Location | Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States |
| Area | 73.85 acres (29.89 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Established | 1923 |
| Administrator | Arbor Day Foundation |
| Website | Smith Falls State Park |
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Arbor Lodge
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The front of Arbor Lodge.
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| Location | 2600 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, Nebraska |
| Area | 72 acres (29 ha) |
| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | House: Jarvis Hunt Grounds: Frederick Law Olmsted |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000135 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | May 15, 1975 |
Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Arboretum is a really cool place in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It's a big, historic house and a special garden filled with many different kinds of trees. This park is so important that it's known as a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a place with a lot of history for the whole country!
The amazing 52-room house started way back in 1855. It was built for a man named J. Sterling Morton. He was the person who came up with the idea for Arbor Day! He also worked for the government as the Secretary of Agriculture in the 1890s.
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Discovering Arbor Lodge Park
Arbor Lodge is a special place where history and nature come together. It's a great spot to learn about how people lived long ago and to see many different plants. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, showing its importance.
The Story of Arbor Day
J. Sterling Morton loved trees very much. He started Arbor Day to encourage everyone to plant trees. He believed trees were important for the environment and for making the Great Plains a better place to live. His home, Arbor Lodge, was originally a small four-room house. Over time, it grew much larger.
A Grand Home and Its History
The house was expanded several times, with the last big change happening in 1903. Later, J. Sterling Morton's son, Joy Morton, used it as his summer home. Joy Morton was the founder of the famous Morton Salt Company.
Inside the mansion, you can see furniture and decorations from the Victorian and Empire eras. Many of these items belonged to the Morton family. One of the most beautiful parts of the house is the sun parlor. It has a stunning Tiffany skylight with a design of grapevines.
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The beautiful Tiffany skylight in the sun parlor.
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A lovely pathway in the rose garden on the south side of the mansion.
Amazing Trees and Gardens
J. Sterling Morton was very interested in trees. He brought trees from all over the country to see which ones would grow best in Nebraska. He wanted to create "windbreaks" to protect farms from strong winds.
Today, the house is surrounded by 270 different kinds of trees and shrubs. You can explore beautiful gardens, old apple orchards, and areas filled with oaks, maples, chestnuts, and pines. Some of these trees are even "state champions" because they are the biggest of their kind in Nebraska! Each special tree usually has a bronze plate telling you its name.
Many of Arbor Lodge's original apple orchards were removed over the years. But in the 1990s, people started planting new apple trees. Now you can find varieties like winesaps, golden delicious, red delicious, jonathans, and jonadels growing there again.
What Can You Do There?
Arbor Lodge mansion is now a museum. It has many items that tell the story of early Nebraska and Nebraska City. When you visit the park, you can also explore the arboretum, which is like a tree museum. There's an Italian terraced garden, a log cabin, and a carriage house with old carriages. You can walk on many trails and see over 200 different kinds of lilacs. Since 2014, the Arbor Day Foundation has helped manage this wonderful state park.
See also
