Since 2007, the Preserve has been organizing and documenting our archival material under the careful guidance of Betsy Hewlett. Betsy’s meticulous cataloguing and storage efforts have safeguarded hundreds of maps, photographs, correspondence, and books relating to the Asticou Azalea Garden, Thuya Garden, and Charles Savage. Why did we go to all this trouble?
From our archives, we have unearthed a wealth of fascinating and valuable information. We are better able to understand the motivations and intentions of those who envisioned, designed, and constructed our gardens. This helps us stay true to their visions. Old photographs tell stories that would be nearly impossible to imagine — of carvers, stonemasons, gardeners, and even horses — whose combined efforts made our gardens a reality.
For many years, most of our collection has been stored in the Greenrock office building in Seal Harbor. The planned renovation of the Greenrock office building does not accommodate their continued storage. Once we realized this, we started to look for a new home for the collection. We did not have to look far. The Northeast Harbor Library has graciously agreed to accept the bulk of our collection. We are grateful to be partnering with the library and know they will be careful stewards of our archives.
"We are thrilled to accept this valuable and well cared for collection,” said Amy Wisehart, Director of the library. “The Preserve's archival materials will nicely complement the Northeast Harbor Library's holdings, making them accessible for generations to come. We appreciate this important acquisition, and many thanks to the Preserve staff who made it possible!"
Preserve archives will augment the library’s current collection of material relating to the Asticou Azalea Garden, Thuya Garden, and Charles Savage. The library has a dedicated, well-organized, temperature-controlled space overseen by Daniela Accettura, who will manage the archives. Access to the material will be available through the library starting with a digital search and, if necessary, an appointment with Daniela.