After Frederick Thompson’s death, Mary Clark Thompson spent
several years traveling throughout Europe with friends and family. On her
travels she saw many beautiful estates which would influence her plans for
Sonnenberg. In September of 1899, Mary and her sister Zilpha visited the Duke
of Sutherland’s gardens at Trentham, in England. Zilpha wrote to their niece,
Mamie, that the grounds were ideal of what a country place should be.
Unfortunately, in the years following their visit, Trentham
became increasingly polluted by nearby pottery factories, and the estate was
abandoned. In recent years, many of the gardens have now been restored to their
original appearance.
Similarities in the two estates can be seen in the formal garden
layouts, architectural elements, and statuary, particularly in Sonnenberg’s
Italian Garden. Sculptures of children holding planters, low stone walls, columned
structures, and graceful urns are generously used in both estates.
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Trentham estate, Staffordshire, England. © Stapleton Collection/Corbis.
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Trentham estate, Staffordshire, England. © Stapleton Collection/Corbis.
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Sonnenberg's Italian Garden, circa 1908.
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Sonnenberg's Italian Garden, circa 2014.
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The rest of Sonnenberg’s gardens would also be influenced by Mary Clark Thompson’s travels, as she incorporated ideas she encountered while touring gardens and botanical displays abroad. In 2016 we will be exploring public gardens, gardens that may have inspired Mrs. Thompson, and how Sonnenberg itself became a public garden.
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