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Add fruit trees to area east of Morse House (Block 10, Lots 15 & 16) in empty lots as part of Sustainable Springfield program
Lincoln Home National Historic Site » Add fruit trees to area east of Morse House (Block 10, Lots 15 & 16) in empty lots as part of Sustainable Springfield program » Document List
Up to six fruit trees-Honey Crisp Apple, apricot, plumcot, and peach- -will be planted in a grid pattern to form an "orchard" in the empty lots in the NE corner of the park-i.e. Block 10, Lots 15 & 16. The trees are about 5' tall and this and the labor are provided by Sustainable Springfield, an organization trying to eliminate "food deserts" in the city by creating small orchards to be used by anyone walking by. This area of the park is open on three sides to public sidewalks. The organization will also provide watering, follow up pruning in a few years, and text and images for signage to help people determine when the fruit is ripe. The park will add small signs by the trees.
The lots were mostly empty during the Lincolns' time in the neighborhood. Houses were later added and torn down to make way for a gas station and used car lot by the late 1960s. In the 1990s, the old underground gas storage tank was leaking and was removed by the state EPA. The area is outside the historic zone and was not reviewed in the park's Cultural Landscape Plan.
The lots were mostly empty during the Lincolns' time in the neighborhood. Houses were later added and torn down to make way for a gas station and used car lot by the late 1960s. In the 1990s, the old underground gas storage tank was leaking and was removed by the state EPA. The area is outside the historic zone and was not reviewed in the park's Cultural Landscape Plan.