After a yearlong $6.8 million renovation, the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, has reopened its esteemed nine-acre Japanese garden to visitors. The plantings and pathways have been meticulously restored, and a new ceremonial teahouse has been added.
One of more than a dozen gardens on the sprawling grounds, the nine-acre Japanese garden was among the first that railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington created on his estate, starting in 1911, a time when Americans were deeply fascinated by the “exotic” aesthetics of the Far East. Huntington acquired many of the plants and decorative elements—including a 19th-century-style Japanese house—from a nearby commercial attraction that had gone out of business. He added koi-filled ponds and commissioned a Japanese craftsman to create a high-arched moon bridge, painted in a dramatic (though inauthentic) Oriental-red.
But over a century, shifting soil, termite damage, and general decay left the once-enchanting grounds in less than exemplary condition. Though small updates and repairs had been made sporadically since the garden opened to the public in 1928, structures such as the Japanese House, made in part of reed mats and rice paper, were in need of expert care.
James Folsom, director of the Huntington’s Botanical Gardens, recruited architects, artisans, and horticulturists from around the U.S. and Japan to restore the landscape. “The greatest challenge was resolving the issues of our own history and future—how to preserve Henry Huntington’s imprint without constraining more than necessary our aesthetic and programmatic goals,” he explains. It was crucial that every element of the garden was restored with the utmost concern for authenticity, while improving accessibility and upgrading irrigation systems.
The most notable addition is a 320-square-foot ceremonial teahouse and accompanying tea garden. The teahouse, named Seifu-an or “Arbor of Pure Breeze,” was built in Kyoto in 1964 and donated to the Huntington by a California Buddhist temple in 2010. The Huntington returned it in pieces to Japan, where the original builder’s son oversaw its restoration. The building will host demonstrations and classes related to the Japanese tea ceremony.
The Huntington Botanical Gardens, located about 12 miles northeast of Los Angeles, are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. daily, except Tuesdays. Admission for adults is $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends. huntingtonrg
