Cullen Gardens, 1982
Description
- Creator
- Unknown, Photographer
- Media Type
- Image
- Item Type
- Photographs
- Description
- A colour photograph of an unidentified person sitting on a bench in front of the Cullen Gardens Gift shop.
- Notes
- Leonard Cullen was a gardener, entrepreneur, and the founder of Whitby’s biggest tourist attraction, Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village. He was born on February 5, 1925. In 1947, Cullen purchased John A. Weall Landscaping Company for $3000 and opened five Weall and Cullen Nurseries in the GTA. The growth of his garden centres meant that Cullen needed land to grow more plants in order to keep up with demand so in 1954 he and his brother Ken purchased land on Baldwin Street (Highway 12), just north of Taunton Road. His early successes in the nurseries allowed Cullen to realize his dream of building a show garden for the public. Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village was built on 14 hectares of valley farmland at Taunton Road and Cochrane Street, just west of the land Cullen originally purchased to grow his plant material. The gardens, with Lynde Creek flowing through the property, opened on May 30, 1980 and attracted visitors from around the world every year. Cullen’s dream also incorporated his interest in local history; he purchased Whitby’s Lynde House, the oldest home in Whitby, and moved it to Cullen Gardens in 1987 in order to preserve and protect it from demolition. As Cullen Gardens grew in popularity a restaurant and banquet facilities were added to the grounds and day camps, special events, and festivals were held on the property. In 2006, the Town of Whitby purchased the property and it was turned into a public park. Part of the land was eventually sold in 2013 to Nordik Group and is now a spa and wellness retreat. Cullen died on August 15, 2006 at the age of 81.
- Date of Original
- 1982
- Subject(s)
- Local identifier
- A2023_006_188
- Collection
- Whitby Online Historic Photographs Collection
- Donor
- Anonymous Donor
- Copyright Statement
- This item is protected by the Canadian Copyright Act and is intended for one-time use only. Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). It is your responsibility for obtaining these permissions.
- Copyright Date
- 1982
- Copyright Holder
- Whitby Archives
- Recommended Citation
- Cullen Gardens, 1982, Unknown photographer. Whitby Archives A2023_006_188.
- Reproduction Notes
- Scanned from photograph
- Contact
- Whitby Public LibraryEmail:archives@whitbylibrary.ca
Website:
Agency street/mail address:405 Dundas Street West, Whitby, Ontario L1N 6A1
For inquires about any newspaper content please contact askreference@whitbylibrary.ca
