Landscape Information
Situated between buildings in the block between Locust and Walnut streets and 4th and 5th streets, the garden originally known as "Area B" was created by the National Park Service from 1958 and 1963 as a connection between the new national park and the adjacent Society Hill neighborhood. In 1971, the Daughters of the American Revolution honored the signers of the Declaration of Independence by planting over 200 antique roses in the center of the space, giving the garden its current name.
Ornate iron gates and colonial-style brick walls with stone copings mark both the Walnut Street and Locust Street entrances. Near the Walnut Street entrance an area of cobblestone next to stone and brick foundation walls show the site of an 18th century stable and courtyard. The main body of the garden is a Modernist plaza paved with red brick. Wide, shallow stone steps and low stone-capped, brick walls separate two small terraces from the main garden. These terraces, placed symmetrically opposite one another but with one raised and one sunken, are paved with stone and incorporate backless stone benches and beds planted with perennials, evergreen shrubs, and mature shade trees. As part of Independence National Historical Park, the garden is designated a National Historic Landmark.
