Julia Lester Dillon facts for kids

Julia Lester Dillon (1871—1959) was an amazing American woman. She started as a teacher in Georgia. After her husband passed away and she began to lose her hearing, she decided to learn about landscape architecture. This is the art of designing outdoor spaces.

Julia became one of the first women to write a lot about gardening in the southern United States. Her gardening advice appeared regularly in many newspapers and magazines. She designed beautiful outdoor areas for post offices across the country. She also created the important Memorial Park in Sumter, South Carolina. Later, she became the Superintendent of Parks and Trees for Sumter for 20 years. Julia Lester Dillon kept writing until 1954, even after losing both her hearing and her sight. She is honored on the Georgia Women of Achievement list.

Early Life and Education

Julia Lester was born on March 9, 1871. Her family lived in Warren County, Georgia. She grew up in Augusta, Georgia. In 1886, she finished high school at Tubman High School in Augusta.

She then went to Peabody College. There, she earned her teaching degree in 1890. That same year, she started teaching at Davidson Grammar School in Augusta. In 1892, Julia married William Bennett Dillon. He was a school principal. Sadly, her husband died in 1894.

Julia had to support herself after that. She went back to teaching for several years. She taught at Houghton Grammar School and later in Louisiana. She also taught at a night school for women. Julia began to lose her hearing, possibly due to an illness. This made her look for other ways to earn money. She started writing and worked as a secretary for a doctor for a while.

Becoming a Landscape Architect

In 1907, Julia took classes at Columbia University. She also studied landscape design at Harvard College. After her studies, she started her own business in Augusta. She designed gardens for homes. Soon, she began working on bigger projects. These included designs for public parks and schools.

Julia continued to write in the 1910s and 1920s. She published articles about southern gardening. Her work appeared in magazines like The Florists' Exchange and House and Garden. She also wrote a regular gardening column for The Augusta Chronicle newspaper.

Between 1914 and 1917, the U.S. Department of the Treasury hired her. She designed the landscapes for several post offices and customs houses. These were in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

Teaching Kids About Gardening

Besides her paid work, Julia started a special project. She wanted to teach children about gardening. A local business group gave money for school children. They could plant gardens on empty lots. Prizes were given for the best-looking gardens. This project was very successful. It grew into a city-wide effort. Many businesses and community groups joined in.

During World War I, Julia helped the Red Cross. She joined other women in the Red Cross Motor Corps. They made clothes and medical supplies for soldiers. In 1919, she joined a board for professional women. This group worked to improve jobs for women. They also pushed for women to get the right to vote.

Designing Memorial Park

In 1920, people in Sumter, South Carolina donated land. They wanted to create Memorial Park. This park would honor soldiers from World War I. Julia Dillon was hired to design the park and manage its creation. She moved to Sumter around this time.

Even while in Sumter, Julia was busy. She was chosen to lead the Forestry Committee for the Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs. In 1921, she attended a big meeting about forests. She was seen as an expert in her field.

Her 1922 book, The Blossom Circle of the Year in Southern Gardens, became very popular. In 1927, she helped start Sumter's first garden club. Julia kept writing her gardening columns. They appeared in newspapers like The Sumter Daily Item and The State. She also wrote for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sumter's Park Superintendent

After Memorial Park was finished, Sumter offered Julia a full-time job. In 1928, she became the city's landscape architect. Her official title was Sumter Superintendent of Parks and Trees. She planned many projects during this time. One famous design was for Swan Lake Iris Gardens in 1938. The land for this garden was donated later, in 1949.

Julia retired in 1948. She moved back to Georgia. She kept writing about gardening, even though she started to lose her sight. Her column ran in Flower Grower magazine from 1936 to 1954.

Julia Lester Dillon passed away on March 24, 1959, in Augusta, Georgia. She was buried next to her husband. In 1965, the Sumter Garden Club put up a plaque to honor her. In 2003, she was added to the Georgia Women of Achievement list. Julia is known for calling Augusta, Georgia, "The Garden City of the South." Flower Grower magazine called her the "dean of Southern gardening."

Notable Projects

• 1914 Twin Gables gardens, Augusta, Georgia
• 1917 Thomasville Georgia Post Office landscape
• 1920-1924 Memorial Park, Sumter, South Carolina

See also

In Spanish: Julia Lester Dillon para niños