Memorial Garden
the Anne Draper deCamp
Schuyler, Tim, and Philip deCamp officially “open” the garden
A Place for Quiet Reflection The front of the Upper School campus has taken on a new look this spring, largely as a result of the brand new Anne Draper deCamp Memorial Garden, dedicated on April 28 in an indoor-outdoor ceremony because of occasional stormy weather. No one was concerned; rain is good for the garden! What had once been just a grassy patch of lawn has now been transformed into a quiet yet colorful area of comfortable benches and flowering plants and trees. The Dedication ceremony began indoors, and included songs from the Upper School a cappella group, Major Minors; many students, in between their classes, were able to gather in the upstairs and downstairs hallways to listen in. Headmaster John Thomas and Otis D. Coston, Jr., Chairman of the FHS Board of Trustees, along with SCA President Drew Wilcox ’11, welcomed everyone to the campus and spoke of the impact that the new garden will make in the daily lives of the School community.
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Also on hand were several members of the deCamp family, including Stephen Draper, Mrs. deCamp’s brother; and Tim deCamp, her son and the parent of three FHS students. The garden was funded entirely through a grant from the J.W. & E.I. Woodruff Foundation in Mrs. deCamp’s memory. She was an avid gardener who loved to spend both social and solitary time in the outdoor spaces she created. “The idea of the garden came about because it really was one of my mother’s loves,” says Tim deCamp. “She also liked the solitude of doing a crossword puzzle or reading a book in a nice setting. The idea was to create a place which students would use—one where they would gather.” That her garden would also be part of a School seemed especially approprate. “My sister understood that the gift of education was the greatest gift she could give,” says Mr. Draper. “That legacy continues, as her sons have given the gift of education to their children.”
(top) the memorial plaque; (center) Tim and Jennifer deCamp with Will ’17, Brittany ’15, and Kyle ’13; (bottom) guests enjoy the new space
The weather cooperated for the formal outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony and everyone was able to spend a few minutes walking through and enjoying the new space. “This garden,” said Mr. Thomas, will be a place that families and students will seek out; a place to celebrate great moments and also to be quietly reflective.”