The grounds of the Hauberg Estate (c. 1911) in Rock Island, Illinois represents a masterwork of pioneer landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951). While most of his work is found in the Midwest, few exist; this is especially true of his residential designs, which are threatened by changes in modern land development and urban sprawl. Jens Jensen designed around 350 private estates, but only around 35 remain with their complete design largely intact. The Hauberg Estate has been owned by the City of Rock Island since 1956, yet as with many open green spaces and ravines within the Quad Cities these areas are overtaken with invasive species. A unique advantage this restoration project has is the impressive level of original documentation. Not only do we have Jens Jensen’s plans for the grounds, but hundreds of photographs of landscape plants and features, that capture many decades of the grounds were taken by the Hauberg family as the Estate was developed and while they lived here. The native plantings from Jens Jensen’s design are a wonderful educational tool to teach native plants, ecology of their seeds, and the import role of soil. The Hauberg family had a very long history of helping Rock Island youth and the Friends of Hauberg Civic Center Board wants to build on that history by developing environmental educational experiences to make new memories of the grounds for the youth and community of Rock Island and the greater Quad City area.
We have been working to repurpose and restore the 3-acre terraced fruit and vegetable gardens at the Hauberg Estate that would allow it to be used as a Children’s Art Garden for Quad City youth. The Estate also has al spring with 5 ponds, 5-acre forest, 1-acre meadow, and 3-acre athletic field. The food garden is the largest designed by the father of American landscape architect Jens Jensen. The Friends of Hauberg Civic Center Foundation has been partnering with local educational non-profits to help set up and foster educational youth gardening programs and STEAM programing in our local communities. Local students in the food education cooperative programs learn about organic farming and gardening, ecology, nutrition, and food development through hands-on instruction. The STEAM focused programs would include engineering projects, soil ecology, pollination and insect ecology, horticulture, plant morphology and identification. Early food education is seen as way to engage young people with how and where their food comes from and making that connection to healthy food choices. Incorporated into the Jensen Terraced food garden design with be a children’s art garden. Each of the original terraces will have a theme, the top terrace with the grape arbor and the edges will have vignettes of Illinois children’s authors, the next terrace will have a pollination garden with raised vegetable beds and cut flower beds, third terrace will be fairy garden walk set in historic varieties of pear trees. The fourth terrace is a mediation path set in the Jensen design with historic plum trees. The last terrace is given John Hauberg’s Indian name of Standing Bear Trail. This is set in antique peach and cherry trees and will have wigwams and other nature play settings with the terrace and large edge of the garden.
When completed, it’s estimated that the Hauberg long term goals would be to be able to use the rest of the estate for STEAM based projects of all kinds. The estate has a large variety of ecological niches (spring with 5 ponds, 5-acre forest, 1 acre meadow, 3-acre terraced food garden, and 3-acre athletic field) this is the is the perfect spot for almost any type of STEAM project you can think up. The repurposed children’s garden we believe will be a huge draw for the Quad Cities. Using the themed terraces, children’s authors and using historic Jensen design will help to make bring people to the Hauberg Estate but will also help to showcase the wonderful amenities of the Quad Cities.
The FOHCCF has the original Jensen landscaping plans for the Hauberg Terraced Gardens. The original design has rows of apple, pear, plum, crabapple, cherry and peach trees, but no varieties are given, we have worked with local landscape architects and horticulturalists to make these selections. Susanne Hauberg died in 1942 and that after her death, the gardens were neglected. Most of the hardscape is intact, sets of red cement stairs have been uncovered, and the foundations and brick floors need a little work, but surprisingly intact.
