A Conservatory Reborn

Following a cyclone in December, 1995, the Conservatory of Flowers, a public greenhouse in San Francisco, was severely damaged. Assembled in 1878 by the greenhouse design firm Lord & Burnham using imported hardware and local timber, the damaged Conservatory was included in the inaugural edition of the World Monuments Watch List. Funds were raised to restore the building, including a grant from a public-private partnership, Save America’s Treasures. After eight years of conservation work and the replacement of more than two thousand structural members, the building reopened, offering innovative exhibitions. The building also retains its historic register status since Architectural Resources Group and Tennenbaum Manheim Engineers accomplished the restoration while salvaging two-thirds of the building’s original timber.