The Museum in the Streets

A secret garden alive with flowers three seasons of the year, the Sunken Garden was created by Frances Sortwell in the foundation of the Hilton House hotel.

The site of a tavern since 1766 and the town stagecoach stop for most of the 19th century, the hotel was purchased in 1892 by William Hubbard, who renamed it the Hilton House.
The hotel offered well-appointed rooms, excellent food, service and a livery stable. Business was so good that Hubbard also bought the old Nickels house across the street and ran it as The Wiscasset House.

Fire destroyed the hotel on October 8, 1903, leaving only the water tower standing. Alvin Sortwell bought the property, and his wife Gertrude and daughter Frances built a garden in the ruins, a place for relaxing and outdoor entertaining. Frances Sortwell enlisted some of her accomplished friends to design the garden, including Rose Ishbel Greeley, one of the first female landscape architects in the country, and noted NYC landscape architect Wolcott Andrews.

In 1958 after Frances' death, her brother Daniel and her sisters Clara Marean and Marion Warland gave the garden to the town.

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Wiscasset, ME  |  Lincoln County  |  04578  |  Maine  |  United States of America

Nickels-Sortwell House 1807
Wawenock Block · 1858
Downtown Stores c. 1892
R.H.T. Taylor Store in 1882
Boothbay Maine Civil War Monument
All Gave Some, Some Gave All - Vietnam War
Constable William Lawrence
City of Bath
City of Bath
Bath Street Clock

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.