One Man's Dream
The Dawes Arboretum was established in 1929 by Beman Dawes and his wife, Bertie.
The idea for an arboretum came to Beman during his youth in Marietta, Ohio, where his father’s lumber business supported the family.
In 1918, Beman Dawes purchased 140 acres of the old Brumback farm in Licking Township. The farm, known as “Woodland,” offered gently rolling hills and several acres of mature trees native to central Ohio. Beman felt that the farm was well situated; it was located practically in the center of the state with diversified soils and good climate for hardy trees.
A New Chapter
The Creation of Daweswood
In 1918, the Dawes family renamed the farm “Daweswood” and the brick, half-century-old farmhouse became their country home and retreat.
By this time Beman and Bertie Dawes had passed their love of nature on to their four sons and daughter. Daweswood served as both a retreat from the family’s East Broad Street residence in Columbus, as well as a place to pursue their horticultural interests.
It was Beman Dawes’ aim to inspire people to plant trees. He planted trees at Daweswood, striving to obtain specimens from all over the world that would survive in central Ohio. The first planned tree planting began in 1917 with 50 sugar maples.
Introducing The Dawes Arboretum
By the time The Dawes Arboretum was founded in 1929, over 50,000 trees had been planted and the grounds had doubled in size to 293 acres. Beman and Bertie Dawes created The Arboretum as a private foundation: “To encourage the planting of forest and ornamental trees… to give pleasure to the public and education to the youth.”
To ensure the continuation of The Arboretum, Beman and Bertie Dawes established an endowment fund. The endowment continues to be one of the major sources of funds for The Dawes Arboretum that has grown from 293 acres to nearly 2,000.
Mission
The Dawes Arboretum is dedicated to enriching lives through the conservation of trees, nature and history.
Are you interested in learning more about the history of The Dawes Arboretum? Read through our collection of blog posts highlighting stories and historical recounts of The Arboretum! Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact our History Department at learning@dawesarb.org or visit The Dawes Arboretum today!
