In less than 30 minutes the Rose Garden in Norwich was dedicated on Sunday, July 11th, 1948 at 2:30 P.M , opened to the public by the Norwich Rotary and then transferred to and received formally by Mayor Richard F. Marks to the City of Norwich.
Almost 200 people gathered at various points around the garden which was blossoming in bright full colors. The shelter house served as the stage for a variety of dignitaries led by Paul W. Franklin chairman of the committee of arrangements. Henry La Fontaine led the singing of the Star Spangled Banner before the introduction of George Sweeter of Wellesley Hill, MA, President of the American Rose Society; Thomas Desmond of Simsbury who designed the garden; Everett A. Piester, Director of the Rose Garden at Elizabeth Park in Hartford; Board of Park Commissioners Henry D. Johnson, Alexander Jordan, Constanceee Cellucci, Richard Foley, Michael K. Aldi, John Donahue and Roy D. Judd, Chairman of the Rotary working committee for the project.
Rotary Club President L. Goffe Briggs made the formal presentation of the garden to the city and gave great and expected credit to Roy D. Judd as the prime mover and to a long list of committeemen that included but was not limited to the following: co-chairman Edward W. Jewett, secretary Charles D. Greenman, treasurer Thure W. and Harold C. Dahl, Henry D. Johnson, Dr. Hugh B. Campbell, Judge Edward G. Moran, Charles A. Saxton, Thomas W. Mahan, Herbert M. Lerou, Ernest Zachae, and Rex Brown who handled the publicity.
More than 70 cities were contacted for help in the planning of the Norwich Rose Garden and gratitude was given to Mrs. E.A. Piester of Hartford and Thomas Desmond for consultation about location and layout. Of four suggested sites the location was the vision of Mrs. Edwin W. Jewett.
Please be patient for part two of the Forgotten Tale of the Norwich Rose Garden .