Reference & Credits: Whatcom Museum of History and Art’s Photo Archives

Special thanks to Jeff Jewell, Photo Historian

Historical background information ~ Special thanks to

Tim Wall, Bellingham Parks

Reference: A History of Bellingham Parks by Aaron Joy

Front photo by Mike MacKay

Research by Zapote Gregory, 2008

Location: Corner of West Illinois Street and Cornwall

Avenue near southern entrance to Cornwall Park.

Park Hours: 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Directions to Cornwall Rose Garden From I-5:

Exit 256 and head south on Meridian Street, turn left on East Illinois Street, then left again on Cornwall Avenue

Exit 255 head west on East Sunset Drive to East Illinois Street turn right on Cornwall Avenue.

Bus serving Cornwall Park Rose Garden ride #4 Hospital to the corner of Cornwall & Illinois Street

Cornwall Rose Garden

For questions please call:

Bellingham Parks & Recreation

3434 Meridian Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.778.7000

Cornwall Rose Garden

Corner of West Illinois Street and Cornwall Avenue

Roses blooming in the garden, circa 1923

Photo by J. Wilbur Sandison

Yesterday...In 1906, the City of Bellingham acquired this

small two acre plot of land from the Bellingham Bay

Improvement Company to use for public park purposes.

Originally, this parcel was known as “Illinois Street Park”.

It wasn’t until 1916 that the first roses were planted.

Later, in the late 1930’s the Illinois Street Park officially

became known as the Cornwall Rose Garden.

Today... the garden offers close to 50 varieties of roses,

many of them selections from the All-American Rose

Selections. It features hybrid teas, grandifloras,

floribundas, climbers, and landscape roses.

Please do not pick the roses!

Leave them in the garden

for everyone to enjoy!

If you would like to volunteer call Parks Volunteer Coordinator 778.7105

City Park Gardeners Ernie McMurchie, nurseryman, & Herb Ward,

employee in Cornwall Rose Garden 1957. Photo by Jack Carver

Bed Rose Name Type Rose

1 Pink Favorite Hybrid Tea

2 Eureka! Floribunda

2 Granada Hybrid Tea

3 Christian Dior Hybrid Tea

4 Heirloom Hybrid Tea

4 Opening Night Hybrid Tea

6 Chicago Peace Hybrid Tea

6 Elle Hybrid Tea

6 Fame! Grandiflora

6 Radiance Hybrid Tea

7 Saratoga Floribunda

8 Europeana Floribunda

8 Rina Hugo Hybrid Tea

11 2 3 44 55

66 88 77

99

1010 1111

1212 1313

1414 1515

1616

1717

1919

2020

1818

2121

2222 2323

2424

2525

2626 2727

Bed Rose Name Type Rose

24 Crimson Bouquet Grandiflora

24 Impatient Floribunda

24 Proud Land Hybrid Tea

24 Whisper Hybrid Tea

25 Day Dream Hybrid Tea

25 New Canadian unknown

25 Summer Sunshine Hybrid Tea

26 Sunset Celebration Hybrid Tea

26 Tahitian Sunset Hybrid Tea

27 Peace Hybrid Tea

Bed Rose Name Type Rose

19 Honey Perfume Floribunda

19 Moment's Magic

20 Julia Child Floribunda

20 Wild Blue Yonder Grandiflora

21 Gypsy Hybrid Tea

22 City of Los Angeles

22 Gemini Hybrid Tea

23 Betty Boop Floribunda

23 Fourth of July Climber

23 Love and Peace Hybrid Tea

Bed Rose Name Type Rose

9 El Capitan Floribunda

10 Octoberfestival

10 Simon Bolivar Hybrid Tea

12 Memorial Day Hybrid Tea

13 About Face Grandiflora

14 Kaleidoscope Shrub

14 Starry Night Shrub

15 Cherry Parfait Grandiflora

15 Hot Cocoa Floribunda

16 Day Breaker Floribunda

16 Marmalade Skies Floribunda

17 Electron Hybird Tea

18 Portrait Hybrid Tea

Rose’s with lovely scents

Bed Rose Name

4 Heirloom - strong sweet rose scent

6 Elle - nice spicy and citrus scent

12 Memorial Day - strong, damask scent

13 About Face - fresh apple scent

19 Honey Perfume - strong spicy scent

20 Julia Child - sweet licorice and spice scent

Please do not pick

the roses!

Leave them for everyone to enjoy!