They’re feeling pretty fortunate at South Haven’s Hyde Bailey Museum, after a ‘near miss’ during last week’s wind storms. Contributor Tom Renner provided us with this update and photos:
The Thursday night storm that swept thru southwest Michigan toppled an iconic 175-year-old fir tree outside the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum on South Bailey Avenue in South Haven. Miraculously, the tree fell just short of the museum building clipping a gutter but heavily damaged a fence and outdoor patio furniture. The Bailey Museum, owned by the City of South Haven, is a registered National Historic Site and considered one of the oldest standing homes in South Haven. It was built in the early 1850s and was the birthplace and childhood home of Dr. Liberty Hyde Bailey, Jr. who is considered America’s “Father of Modern Horticulture”. The tree was believed planted by Dr. Bailey.
