Lucas, Kansas
Next door to the Garden of Eden was another work in progress. I learned that on the other side of town there once lived another eccentric. I didn't make a note of his name or when he lived but it was later than Samuel Dinsmore. This fellow liked to travel all over America and in doing so he collected rocks from every place he visited. I am not talking about just a few rocks like I do, but whole trunk and trailer loads of rock. Back home he created pieces of art with his rocks. I believe some of the buildings are reproductions of homes in Lucas. When he died all of his work was sold off, somewhere close to 300 pieces. Now the Grass Roots Art Society is trying to retrieve as many pieces as they can locate. Some reside with residents in Lucas who will not part with them.
The town of Lucas donated the lot next to the Garden of Eden for the relocation of the stone work.
The Kohler Foundation is doing the restoration and relocation. Here you can see they have plotted out where every piece should go as to the best they can determine from old photographs.
The Kohler Foundation is the same people who make your toilets and sinks. I had no idea they did this type of philanthropic work. I learned they restored the Garden of Eden and when finished just simply signed it all over to the town of Lucas. This is what they do all around the country. I talked to one worker there who said they should have it finished in a few weeks then they were off to Maine to restore an old coastal inn or maybe it was a lighthouse.
For more information on just some of the projects the Foundation has completed click here.
Looks like a few more unique places for me to search out that I did not know existed.
I will be going back to Lucas to see this project completed.
6 comments:
amazing; one man's mission in life and is now coming back home
Glad they are not my neighbors.
a nice thing a big corporation does!!!
reminds me of a movie I saw where one character picked up a rock if he wanted to remember something. Can't remember the name of the movie.
I suppose living near My Dinsmore a chap could let his artistic self go without feeling self consious. At 300 pieces though, he might have been in competition.
I love these little houses - they're great.
I have to say after attending my Great nieces dance recital in Lucas. "An Awesome Dance Recital" by the way.
I had to check out the sights and I say Kohler picked a winner in Lucas ,Ks Such a great art community in this small Kansas town. The Garden of Eden, the Stone Cottages, The public restrooms of mosaics no less and the Dance recital in Lucas was all so thoroughly enjoyable! I know there is even more to see and will definitely be attending my Great Nieces show next year.
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