Awbury Arboretum

Awbury was originally the summer estate of the Cope family. Henry Cope, a Quaker shipping merchant, purchased Awbury in 1852 and named the estate after the village, Avebury, England, from which his family originally emigrated. Awbury soon became a year-round home for members of the extended Cope-Haines family. Various Victorian and Colonial Revival houses were built between 1860 and the 1920’s, forming a unique cultural landscape. Except for the Francis Cope House (1860) which serves as the Arboretum headquarters, and the Carriage House, all of these are currently privately owned. Awbury’s grounds were laid out in the 19th century in the English landscape garden tradition with the advice of the celebrated horticulturalist William Saunders, designer of the National Cemetery at the Gettysburg Battlefield and of the Capitol grounds in Washington, DC. Long vistas are framed by clusters of trees and shrubs which are interwoven with open space creating stunning visual contrasts. Concern for the preservation of this piece of open space led to the establishment of the Arboretum in 1916 by members of the Cope family, for public use as an Arboretum for the “quiet enjoyment of nature” and for educational purposes. In 1984, the Awbury Arboretum Association was established as a not-for-profit corporation entrusted with promoting the well-being of the Arboretum for the benefit of the community. We continue to serve our community through a broad range of educational services.