“In a city of world-famous and popular monuments . . . Tregaron was hands down the most popular destination in TCLF’s first-ever ‘What’s Out There’ Weekend, September 25-26.” (The Cultural Landscape Foundation October 2010 E-Newsletter)
The Tregaron Conservancy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006. As owner and steward of 13 acres of protected parkland, the Tregaron Conservancy is restoring and maintaining this important historic landscape for the benefit of the public.
In 2006, after more than 25 years of legal battles, the Friends of Tregaron (the predecessor to the Tregaron Conservancy) negotiated a landmark agreement that saved the land from development. Tregaron’s landscape will be protected as open green space in perpetuity. Now, the Conservancy continues its ambitious challenge of restoring and maintaining a once-forgotten site and sharing Tregaron’s story.
Thanks to our generous supporters, partners and volunteers, we have rehabilitated pedestrian trails, meadows, stone bridges and stairways, and our iconic the lily pond. We have planted magnificent wild gardens inspired by original plans dating back to 1915. We have planted over 200 trees and thousands of daffodils and other flowers. We have seeded native grass and wildflower meadows create a new habitat for birds and butterflies.
The park is open to the public every day, free of charge. The Conservancy hosts events throughout the year — guided walks, history and geology tours, school group and summer camp programs, and community events for all ages. Our annual events include an Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin-Decorating Party, and volunteer planting and clean-up days.
Why is the Tregaron Estate important?
The 20-acre Tregaron Estate (originally known as “The Causeway”) represents the most important surviving landscape collaboration by noted architect, Charles Adams Platt, and renowned landscape architect, Ellen Biddle Shipman. At the height of her career, Shipman was known as the “dean of women landscape architects” in America. Tregaron is the only country estate designed by Platt in Washington, and one of only a handful of his surviving estates nationwide. Shipman’s garden at Tregaron was by far the largest of her woodland landscapes, and is one of only two known examples of this type of “wild garden” design in the country. In 1979, the entire estate, including the landscape, was designated a Landmark of the District of Columbia. Tregaron was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and is a contributing feature of the Cleveland Park Historic District (1986).
The Tregaron Conservancy relies solely on private donations. Please contribute to our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization online via the secure PayPal/credit card process or send a check to P.O. Box 11351, Washington, DC 20008.
Come visit Tregaron—it is a magical place.