Presby Memorial Iris Gardens

Presby Memorial Iris Gardens Horticultural Center
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is located in Essex County, New Jersey
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is located in New Jersey
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is located in the United States
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
Location474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey
Coordinates40°51′5″N 74°12′23″W / 40.85139°N 74.20639°W / 40.85139; -74.20639
Area7.8 acres (3.2 ha)
Built1922
ArchitectJohn Wister
Architectural styleSecond Empire
NRHP reference No.80002483[1]
NJRHP No.1171[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 17, 1980
Designated NJRHPJune 25, 1980

Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is a nonprofit, living museum specializing in iris flowers, located at 474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. The gardens are situated on 6.5 acres. Adjacent to the gardens is a Victorian house, the Walther House. The house is open to the public the hours are limited, the entrance has a seven step staircase and is home to a museum shop and headquarters for the Citizens Committee that oversees the gardens.

Following financial problems in 2008 and 2009, ownership of the gardens was transferred to Essex county, who bought the Walther House for $1.1 million in order to give the gardens a better financial standing. The county then leased the gardens back to the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens for $1. While Essex County owns the property, the actual iris beds are maintained without taxpayer funds. Rather, they are maintained by private donations.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. April 1, 2010. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2010.