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Community Gardens

at the

Milner Schwarz House

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For more information please email us at gardens@lovelandhistorical.org.

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"Thank You" to our many volunteers and supporters that contributed to the successful kick off of our first planting season.

Fence Construction:

Scott Waterhouse, Craig Bagwell, and crew

Brian Mullen

Irv Bingham

Mike Perry

Special Thanks:

Uncle Benny's Building Supply

The Home Depot

Robyn Bond

Roy Leonard

Pat McGuire

Gayle Strieby

Jim Warren

Bruce Phillbrick, City of Loveland

Robin Ericsson, Historic Preservation Commission

Bill Combs, Landscape Designer

Paul's Plumbing, Heating and Cooling of Loveland

Larimer County Department of Natural Resources/Open Lands Small Grants for Community Partnering program

2010 Loveland Community Garden Mini-grant award from High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC), sponsored by CanDo (Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity).

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Milner Schwarz House Objectives:

  • To establish, nurture, sustain community gardens that produce flowers, vegetables on a seasonal basis with respect for water-wise gardening practices
  • To establish, nurture, sustain heritage plantings around the MS House in keeping with heritage of site with respect for drought tolerant landscaping
  • To establish a unique, natural outdoor gathering place for community and other events in Fairgrounds Park location
  • To respect and adhere to the rules and practices established for community gardeners
  • To preserve the sense of place and taste by honoring the cultural and food traditions of Northern Colorado during late 1800s and early 1900s
  • To educate people to ways to garden with water conservation, composting and other organic practices on regular basis
  • To support the goals and objectives of the Loveland Historical Society (nonprofit organization leasing site) and the City of Loveland (owner of property)
  • To honor the history of Loveland as a producer of cherries
  • To educate people of all ages, colors, socioeconomic backgrounds to the benefits of growing and eating locally grown foods
  • To demonstrate old fashioned stewardship toward the land within an urban environment
  • To create a legacy of stewardship for our children
  • To develop a taste for healthy, nutritional eating patterns

 

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Milner Schwarz House History

Horticulture was in its golden age in the Victorian Period, 1860-1900, when the town of Loveland was founded in 1877.  This golden age was thriving when the Milner House (now Milner-Schwarz House) was built circa 1873.  Located in Loveland in Old Fairgrounds Park, it is likely to be the oldest brick farmhouse in Larimer County, one of the first homesteads in the Big Thompson Valley.  Joseph Milner built the house on 80 acres and provided meat to railroad workers.  In 1906, the 45-acre farm was purchased by the Schwarz family who ran a dairy farm and raised crops, including sugar beets. 

Unfortunately no pictures of the landscape or plantings surrounding the house have been found, but surely the soil was frequently enriched by many cow  manure applications.  Undoubtedly many a vegetable garden yielded hearty tomatoes, corn and succulent herbs for drying and cooking meals for hungry folks through the years.
Pairing the golden age of horticulture and the 1876 U.S. centennial celebration, seed growers located in the Eastern U.S. delivered a wide array of new, different and exotic materials from vines to trellis designs.   Large tufts of ornamental grasses, weeping plants, cherry, mulberry trees were very popular along with perennial sunflowers, day lilies, and poppies.  Biennial hollyhocks were considered “old fashioned” and still are today. 

In the next phase for the garden, plans are to continue the community garden and include perennials and heirloom plantings along with a kitchen garden and outdoor patio area.  A number of dedicated volunteers and community organizations are committed to honoring the historic roots of the house, growing food and beautifying the site for the community and visitors. 

Trudi Manuel is the Gardens at Milner Schwarz House garden coordinator for the LHS and is a Master Gardener through the CSU Extension. 

 

 

 
   

 

 
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

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