Book a tour of Rockford’s newest attraction, Esta Barrett Manor & Gardens.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the manor offers a unique opportunity to learn about the life of Esta Barrett and her Rockford estate. Guided tours of the manor and the natural grounds and gardens, designed by noted landscape gardener O. C. Simonds, are available through Eventbrite.
Meet a trained tour guide to begin your journey through decades of history, with our story beginning around 1900 with Esta’s passion for music and eventual performance on Broadway in a popular musical comedy. Learn of her husband’s rise from clerk to President of the Devoe Raynolds Co. and his unfortunate death from influenza in 1918, which would shake Esta’s world and drive her to manage and operate the manor and farm for the next three decades. No tour would be complete without mentioning Charles Bradley, the architect who thoughtfully designed the buildings, and O. C. Simonds, the landscape gardener who laid the way for using native plants in landscapes throughout the Midwest and beyond. Join us for a riveting hour to discover these voices of the past and learn how they are relevant today.
