Serenity in the Japanese Garden

12th Century Bronze Buddha

One of our guests' favorite gardens is our Japanese Garden, which is notable for its age and that it was the first privately owned Japanese garden in North America. Mary Clark Thompson was a woman who lead the way in garden design to be sure.

And except for the waterlilies that appear in the garden's ponds during summer, this garden features no flowers. But that does not diminish its beauty. Much to the contrary, it enhances it as it allows the visitor to quietly take in the natural surroundings simply accented by stone lanterns, the Tea House, and of course, our 12th century bronze Japanese Buddha. If you talk to the guests about the garden, this larger than life-sized statue is the one piece of the garden that is almost always mentioned for the statue has an amazing and palpable serene presence.

The statue sits in the corner of the garden nearest to the Roman Bath -- always peaceful and always quiet. It is a peace that is infectious for most. But there is a story about this statue rumored to have taken place after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Supposedly two local men were going to destroy the statue with axes as some sort of punitive act for the bombing. And sure enough, there are two cuts in the chest of the statue that had to be created with a bladed instrument and some degree of force. But only two cuts.

Is the story real? I don't truly know but I've heard it from a couple of sources and it is at least part of the Sonnenberg lore some like to share. If it is true, why did the men stop at one stroke each? Did that peaceful gaze look down into their hearts and cool their thirst for vengeance? Perhaps.

Two cuts are visible on the statue's chest

Offerings often appear in the statue's hands

Learning More About the Thompsons

Archivist and Board Member, Barbara Stahl, recently did the presentation titled For the Love of Gardens: the Artistry of Mary Clark Thompson at the Naples Library. The was recorded and is included below. Enjoy!

Did You Know? -- Mary Clark Thompson Medal

Did you Mary Clark Thompson, Sonnenberg's original owner, is the same Mary Clark Thompson for whom the National Academy of Science named their award of the same name?

She donated the funds for the award in 1919 and a gold medal used to be awarded annually but is now presented every three years, along with a $15,000 prize (courtesy of Mary Clark Thompson's endowment) to honor important services to geology and paleontology. Here is a link to an American Association for the Advancement of Science publication from 1919, which briefly mentions the award.

Mrs. Thompson was a great philanthropist and gave to innumerable causes in Canandaigua and beyond, many of which were related to the fields of healthcare and science.


Submitted by Cindy Hunt, Curator