Castle Hill Crane Rose Garden

An award-winning gem set within the historic landscape of Castle Hill estate, the rose garden—built in 1915—consists of a central fountain and surrounding rustic pergola.

The concrete landscape walls, stairs and columns were constructed with an exposed aggregate surface, adding texture and warmth to the industrial material arranged within the organic setting. Historically, the pergola framework consisted of rustic timber.

Time and environmental exposure have gradually decomposed these structural materials, leaving the garden as a ruin. The timber pergola had completely rotted away and the early 20th century concrete suffered from a wide range of deterioration, some of which posed a danger to visitors.

MFSE engineers performed an assessment of the existing conditions, administered a program of material testing for the concrete, and developed stabilization designs and conservation measures to allow a new phase of visitation. Concrete conservation treatments varied, with some wholesale replacement of components, including the center fountain, while other significant portions received only superficial removal of loose materials. The approach was designed to assure public safety while acknowledging the effects of time on the garden structures. The timber pergola was reconstructed, serving as an architectural restoration of this key design feature and, at the same time, as structural stabilization for the free-standing concrete columns.