Aracdia, Ind. — Visitors to Roberts Settlement will now experience an even richer connection to one of Indiana’s most significant historic communities with the addition of the Legacy Gardens, a thoughtfully designed native landscape that enhances the site’s Legacy Walk.
Planted in May, the Legacy Gardens create an immersive natural setting surrounding the Legacy Walk, complementing the stories (provided through the onsite STQRY app) and the interactive installation that celebrate the lives and legacy of the pioneering Black settlers who established Roberts Settlement in the 1830s.
The project was made possible through Hamilton County Tourism’s Tourism Gives program that invests in projects that strengthen Hamilton County’s cultural, historical and environmental assets while supporting initiatives that preserve, enhance and celebrate the people and places that make Hamilton County a vibrant destination.
“This project is a perfect blend of beautification and conservation,” said Katherine Crouch, senior sustainability manager for Hamilton County Tourism. “Hamilton County Tourism is grateful to be able to bring people together to care for the natural and cultural resources that make our community special. The resulting native landscape at Roberts Settlement honors the site’s historic character and stewards the natural resources that make tourism possible in our county.”
Designed by Andrew Marrs of Andrew Marrs Garden Design, the Legacy Gardens draw inspiration from the natural landscape that would have surrounded Roberts Settlement during its earliest years while presenting it in a carefully curated, contemporary setting.
“In all my work, the inspiration comes from nature,” Marrs said. “For the Legacy Gardens, we wanted to provide the beautiful new Legacy Walk with a unifying element that would tie everything together and create an immersive experience. We affectionately dubbed it a ‘micro-meadow.'”
The gardens include nearly 1,500 plants representing 48 different species and cultivated selections. Many are native to Hamilton County, with carefully chosen cultivars helping maintain a scale that complements the Legacy Walk while providing season-long color, texture and habitat for pollinators.
Rather than simply displaying individual plants, Marrs designed the landscape as a living plant community, where blooms, grasses and foliage weave together to create a continually changing tapestry throughout the growing season.
“A garden should be more than just a collection of plants,” Marrs said. “My hope is that people won’t simply admire a beautiful flower, but that they’ll feel something more abstract, uplifting and memorable as they experience the garden.”
Marrs said the Legacy Gardens also demonstrate the power of collaboration.
“It was the collaborative and creative energy of the Roberts Settlement community, Hamilton County Tourism and the Hamilton County Master Gardeners that brought the garden to life,” he said.
As the gardens mature over the coming seasons, visitors will experience changing waves of color, texture and pollinator activity while exploring the Legacy Walk, creating a living landscape that reflects both the resilience of nature and the enduring legacy of Roberts Settlement.
“The Legacy Gardens are another way we honor those who built Roberts Settlement through faith, hard work and perseverance,” said Bryan Glover, a descendant of Roberts Settlement and an officer of the Roberts Chapel Church and Burial Association. “As visitors walk the Legacy Walk, they’re surrounded by a landscape that reflects the beauty and resilience of this place. Just as our ancestors cultivated this land to sustain their families and community, this gardens remind us that preserving our history also means caring for the landscape that tells our story. We hope every visitor leaves with a deeper appreciation for those who came before us and a renewed commitment to ensuring their legacy continues to inspire generations to come.”
While the Legacy Walk and Legacy Gardens are free to attend, donations are encouraged via the STQRY app or online. The self-guided tour is open to visitors from dawn to dusk. To learn more about Roberts Settlement, upcoming events or opportunities to support its preservation, visit www.robertssettlement.org.
About Roberts Settlement
Roberts Settlement was founded in 1835 by free Blacks of mixed racial heritage who migrated mostly from North Carolina and Virginia as southern slavery threatened their freedoms and way of life. Their goals were the pursuit of economic, educational, and religious aspirations with the freedom and liberties that they believed rightfully belonged to all people. For more than 100 years, the descendants have gathered annually for the family Homecoming to celebrate their shared history and renew family bonds. For more information, visit RobertsSettlement.org.
