Beechmont Neighborhood Association

the Gazebo

What are it's origins

A gazebo is a structure that has it's origin in the Middle Ages. Deep in those times, life was treacherous and the farmer had a hard time holding on to his livestock and food storage as well as his crops and the lives of his family and workers. As time went on and land began to be worked by the same people, the farmer began to devise means of discerning when an enemy was approaching. He built a rise at the far end of his land where he could stand above the waddle or stone fence he had erected and higher than the rise in the road. to look down the road and see who was coming up it. This gave him a little lead time to protect himself. This raised section was a mound and in time it became rather ornate and plesent to be on. It was often planted with thyme so that as the viewer climbed upon it, he was met with the tantilizing odor of the crushed thyme. Other fragrant plantings came into use and as the times became more settled, the mound became a place for relaxation and beauty. As is the nature of humans, a competitive spirit soaked into the mound. It now beacame a place for the farmer and maybe his famile to wait fo and greet visitors coming down that that road that had once held marauders. In an effort to impress the guests, the mound took on a new configuration, a small building with seats and roof to protect the ladies from the weather and the sun; a building that would accomadate several people in luxury and comfort, while they awaited their invited guests. It was the first thing the traveler saw, as he approached his host's property and his knowledge of his host station in life was carried by that once humble mound , now turned into a very sumptuous greeting place. The Victorians resurrected that structure into a a garden house just for injoyment for all who wished to relax in it's confines, They expanded it and elaborated it until it became a virtual summer house. Our age has turned it into many things, a garden rest area, a bus stop, a bandstand. a picnic area, in other words whatever you wish it to be. Just build it to that and you have it.

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