The large stones used here as fountain elements, benches, and garden accents were quarried from a deposit of granite in Milford, Massachusetts in 1887. These stones artifacts were originally cut for the construction of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Building, which was later destroyed by fire in 1911. The Chamber of Commerce Building, located at the corner of Fourth and Vine, was an excellent architectural example of the Romanesque Revival style. The building was considered one of the most significant local treasures designed by renowned American architect Henry Hudson Richardson. After the fire, thousands of ornamental and structural granite elements were hauled to Cleves, Ohio by the Cincinnati Astronomical Society for the purpose of constructing an observatory near the present location of Mitchell Memorial Forest. When the plans for the observatory were not realized, these stones lay quiet storage until 1979, when the Cincinnati Astronomical Society graciously donated a number of stones to the Hamilton County Park District for the construction of a beautiful shelterhouse at Mitchell Memorial Forest. All the remaining stones were acquired by the Park District in 1984. The development of Glenwood Gardens presented another excellent opportunity as elements of the garden.
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