The Sunday before my surgery, Tom and I visited the Hartman Rock Garden in Springfield, Ohio. We didn’t go there alone. We met one of our favorite families, Steve, Amy, and Emma Winstead, so we could all enjoy it together. Emma is 3 1/2 now, and I thought the rock garden looked like a fun place for her.
The Hartman Rock Garden is situated in a quiet neighborhood in Springfield. The garden was so hidden that we drove by it the first time. We saw it as soon as we drove by (thanks Google Maps) and turned around right away. We parked on the street behind Steve’s truck and then walked into the garden together.
The Hartman Rock Garden was started by Ben Hartman in 1932 when he was laid off from his job at a nearby foundry. For the next twelve years, the rest of his life, he built structures out of rocks in his backyard. There are hundreds of structures and figurines, with various themes of history, popular culture, and religion.
Ben died in 1944, and, for the next 53 years, his widow Mary tended and preserved the garden. She died in 1997 at the age of 91. In 2008 the Kohler Foundation, which preserves visionary art installations around the country, bought the Hartman Rock Garden and began restoring it. A Friends group was formed of local citizens who care for the garden on daily basis.
As we wandered around the garden we were amazed at the care that went into each of the structures. We were also amazed that it has been so well preserved. Not a stone was out of place – that we could tell. Emma enjoyed bending down and looking in the windows of the little houses. The buildings ran the gamut from the Camelot castle to Schoenbrunn Village. There was a cathedral as well as tableaux from the American Revolution.
Tom and I especially enjoyed the pop culture references, which were all from the 1930’s. Steve and Amy weren’t familiar with them, but it was fun to test our knowledge.
We stayed at the Hartman Rock Garden for about 45 minutes. It is small, but there was plenty to see packed into the space. The garden is free, but there is a donation box and we were happy to contribute.
After exploring the garden, we headed to a playground at Snyder Park, a few miles away. Steve and Amy expected a splash pad to be open, but it is October, even if the weather was still plenty warm. Turns out the splash pad was closed, but there was an awesome playground that was perfect for Emma. Tom, Amy, and Steve all took turns playing with her. I sat in the shade because my walking wasn’t great at that point. Emma’s favorite thing was being pushed on the swing or pushed on the merry-go-round. Tom was happy to do it as long as she wanted and I enjoyed watching them enjoy each other.
We finished off our time with the Winsteads by enjoying ice cream cones together at Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen has a dairy-free Dilly Bar, so even Amy was able to enjoy some ice cream. Emma is scowling in all the pictures, but she really had a good time and ate most of her cone.
After Dairy Queen, the Winsteads headed home. Tom and I took the scenic route home through Urbana with a couple of detours. First we stopped at the “largest loaf of bread in the world.” I’m not sure that is true, but it was a pretty big loaf. It was in front of a bakery supply company. Then we saw a couple of covered bridges north of Urbana. It was a beautiful afternoon and it was fun to explore a couple of places we had never been.