The two-acre Japanese Garden in Roger Williams Park is a beautiful and peaceful oasis in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. The garden was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, and it is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of the American people. The garden is one of the few WPA-era projects that still exists in its original form.
The Japanese Lantern statue in the garden is one of 14 identical statues, originally dedicated in Japan in 1841. The people of Japan gave two to Providence to commemorate the 1954 centennial of Commodore Perry’s mission to Japan. The Parks Department installed this gift in the Japanese Garden in 1954. The lantern in Roger Williams Park weighs five tons and is in five sections. The middle section with Japanese inscription was installed upside down, which was detected by a Japanese student.
The garden was updated in the 1960s by landscape architect Ralph Hartman, who studied garden design in Japan. Hartman added the “mountain” to the north of the garden, berms, the naturalist beach area, and an array of Japanese coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs.
The Japanese Garden is a beautiful and tranquil space that is perfect for a relaxing stroll or a quiet moment of contemplation. The garden is home to a variety of Japanese plants and flowers, as well as a number of koi fish that swim in the lake. The garden is also home to a number of sculptures and other works of art, which add to the overall beauty of the space.
If you are looking for a beautiful and peaceful place to relax and enjoy the outdoors, the Japanese Garden in Roger Williams Park is the perfect place for you.
Dig Deeper: https://rwpconservancy.org/japanese-garden/
My parents got married there. Is it still there at Roger Williams Park? We'll have to go there and see. Good article.
A great place to chill!