Our beautiful iconic Gazebo at the center of the All-American portion of Richmond Rose Garden Inc. has been present for 35 years, and the wear and tear from the elements have taken a toll on the structure. Therefore, a restoration of it has begun. This refurbishment includes replacing many of the posts in the upper area of the structure. If you look closely, you will notice that one post has already been removed as a pattern for fabrication of the new ones needed. The majority of the replacement work will occur beginning in August of this year by Miles-Richmond at which time the Gazebo will no longer be accessible to the public.
The Gazebo is a prefabricated, copper roofed structure 12 feet in diameter which graces the Garden’s center. With the Garden on a tight budget in 1987, Dana Weigle, president of the local McDonald’s operations, came to the rescue. He had heard of the Gazebo plans in June of 87’at the rededication of the E.G. Hill Garden, and he also knew that the amount needed to complete the project was not in the Board’s budget. Consequently, Dana offered the Gazebo as a gift from the McDonald’s corporation. In making his presentation at the Gazebo’s dedication in September, 1987, Weigle observed that Ray Kroc, the late founder of the McDonald enterprise, “left a legacy to his operators, and certainly with me… that we should give back to our communities some of the benefits we receive from them”. To this day, the Gazebo remains an iconic structure in the city of Richmond which is easily recognizable by the community. It’s customized weather vane that sits atop was made and designed by the Magaws of Boston Indiana and is a one-of-a-kind unique addition.
