FRANKFORT, Ky.-- Governor Paul E. Patton and First Lady Judi Patton today dedicated the new formal garden at the Old Governor’s Mansion, 420 High Street, in historic downtown Frankfort.

The garden was designed by the landscape architectural firm John L. Carman and Associates of Lexington. Initial construction on the project began in July 2001. Lucas Schwering Architects and KTA Associates, Inc. assisted with the architectural and engineering design and Meyer Contracting Inc. of Frankfort completed the construction earlier this month.

The finished design of the garden includes a traditional landscape that compliments the 200 plus-year-old-mansion, while also accommodating the needs of the mansion residents and public use of the space. The garden is surrounded by an iron fence, which allows mansion residents privacy without compromising the view from outside the property. The fencing includes a rosette design that was copied from an ornamental porch that graced the front of the mansion in the early twentieth century. The rosette is also mimicked in the design of the planters placed throughout the garden.

A circular fountain serves as the centerpiece of the design. The garden path is marked by 10 large, wooden trellises, which were designed and constructed especially for this project of eastern red cedar from Owen County, Kentucky. Several small, intimate spaces with curved, wooden benches are found throughout the garden, which replicate garden designs of the early nineteenth century. The landscape includes many native Kentucky plants, including sugar maple, black gum, hemlock, dogwood, sumac and rhododendron.

"We wanted this to be a space that will be a source of pride for all Kentuckians. Throughout our planning, we have sought to make this an area that visitors would truly enjoy while visiting the Old Mansion and the Kentucky History Center," said First Lady Judi Patton.

A formal entry into the adjacent Kentucky History Center garden is located on the West end of the property and may be opened to allow access between the two properties. The layout of the garden also preserves the historic space connecting High Street to Ann Street, commonly known as Governor’s Alley. A new entrance with access from Clinton Street was included in the development of the renovated motor court, which eliminates public access to the mansion from High Street.

The garden is located on the site previously occupied by two Kentucky Transportation Cabinet concrete block buildings and parking lot. The total cost for the project was $1.3 million, which includes $425,000 that was earmarked for the Kentucky History Center garden. The Old Governor’s Mansion is currently closed for renovations. It is scheduled to reopen in December 2003. The garden will remain open to the public during restoration of the mansion.