Dawes Arboretum, The
National Register of Historic Places

Dawes Arboretum, The

Newark, Licking County, Ohio
Listed
August 10, 2016
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
16000525

About this property

The Dawes Arboretum is a nonprofit arboretum located in Newark, Ohio. The site includes nearly 1,910 acres (7.7 km2) of plant collections, gardens and natural areas. The site includes approximately 12 miles (19 km) of hiking trails and roadways for a four-mile (6 km) driving tour. Beman Dawes was born in 1870 and grew up in Marietta, Ohio. His father ran a lumber business and also served one term as a U.S. Representative. Bertie Burr was born in 1872 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her father served as mayor of Lincoln and as a U.S. Senator. The two married in 1894 and eventually had five children. Around 1917, the couple bought a 140-acre farm in Licking Township and dubbed it "Daweswood." The farm served as a retreat for the family, who also had a home in Columbus, and a place to nurture trees and plant specimens collected from around the world. The arboretum had doubled in size by the time it was officially founded in 1929. Beman and Bertie Dawes created the foundation "to encourage the planting of forest and ornamental trees … to give pleasure to the public and education to the youth." Dawes Arboretum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Around 270,000 visitors a year come to the park. Beginning in 2019, Dawes Arboretum now charges an admission fee, to visitors whom are non-members of the arboretum, for the first time in the organization's history. The Dawes Arboretum's features nearly 16,000 living trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants, as well as the Daweswood House Museum, which features Dawes family memorabilia and antiques. The grounds include a number of gardens and natural areas. The Japanese Garden, designed by landscape architect Dr. Makoto Nakamura in 1963, includes a reflecting pond and meditation area. The arboretum features one of the northernmost native bald-cypress swamps in North America, which visitors can walk through on a boardwalk. Jefferson salamander and spotted salamanders are present in the swamp from late winter through spring. The Dutch Fork Wetlands is a 70-acre wetland and grassland ecosystem located on the arboretum grounds. The original wetlands and habitats disappeared and changed due to years of agriculture practice. The area was restored into a diverse ecosystem, and mammals, birds and insects make the wetlands their home. Visitors either explore the wetlands alone or take a guided tour. The arboretum has hosted more than 100 tree dedications since 1927. Among the Ohioans who have trees dedicated to them on the grounds are athlete Jesse Owens, astronaut John Glenn, inventors Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright, and author Julie Zickefoose.

Location

7770 Jacksontown Rd., SE.
Newark, Licking County, Ohio

Categories

CONSERVATIONLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREEDUCATIONSOCIAL HISTORY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dawes Arboretum, The

This page lists Dawes Arboretum, The. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Dawes Arboretum, The report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Dawes Arboretum, The listed on the National Register?

Dawes Arboretum, The was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 2016.

What type of historic resource is Dawes Arboretum, The?

Dawes Arboretum, The is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Dawes Arboretum, The?

The period of significance for Dawes Arboretum, The is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1929.

Can I research the history near Dawes Arboretum, The?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Dawes Arboretum, The will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Licking County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Licking County.

Explore LickingCounty ›

More historic places in Ohio

Browse all historic places in Ohio.

View Ohiohistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Ohio history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Ohiohistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Dawes Arboretum, The will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report