Hartman History

The Hartman Rock Garden, the Depression-era handiwork of H.G. “Ben” Hartman located at 1905 Russell Avenue in Springfield, was fully restored from 2008- 2009 by The Kohler Foundation. A group representing the Springfield Foundation and the Turner Foundation accepted the deed to the home and surrounding property December 8, 2009 under the name “Friends of the Hartman Rock Garden.”

Help Preserve History

Perpetual care of the rock garden – which includes more than 250,000 individual stones that combine a mixture of history, religion, and depression-era pop culture – is necessary for its continuation.

An Agency Endowment fund has been set up at the Springfield Foundation, and tax-deductible donations to the “Friends of the Hartman Rock Garden” may be made on our general donation page or sent to:

The Springfield Foundation
c/o Friends of the Hartman Rock Garden
333 North Limestone St., Suite 201
Springfield, OH 45503-4250

If you would like additional information about the Hartman Rock Garden you may find the following sources of interest:

• Hartman Rock Garden on Facebook
• Hartman Rock Garden Blog 
• Springfield News-Sun (search for Hartman Rock Garden for a number of stories)