The MissionThe Mission of Stonehedge Cooperative is to provide a healing, sacred, inclusive environment for the cultivation of personal and community transformation and wellness through the gardens and nature; the arts and holistic education.
photo by Scott Lapp
Stonehedge Gardens offers over seven acres of beautiful, cultivated gardens including perennial gardens, hosta & shade gardens, a culinary herb garden, butterfly & water gardens and several ponds.
The gardens are surrounded by nearly 20 additional acres of woodlands & nature trails and are open and free to the public year-round from noon to dusk, or by appointment. You can ask for a self-guided tour map at the gift shop or download one here. Click here to tour the Gardens |
HistoryStonehedge was founded in 1966 by Russell Keich and Don Herring with the purchase of an old Pennsylvania farm house and property three miles south of Tamaqua. Their dream was to create beauty and share it with others.
From their first day on the property, Russell and Don began the process of transforming the farm fields with the help of committed friends and volunteers into the beautiful gardens visitors see today. Each tree and flower was planted... each boulder placed... each pond dug... a titanic effort spanning 50 years as a labor of love and a gift to share with the community. The old farmhouse was renovated with artifacts salvaged from dismantled, historic churches, retail shops and industrial sites throughout the coal region. The result is an extraordinary aesthetic creation inside and out. The summerhouse on the old farm has been one of the most recent structural renovations. Sitting at the center of the gardens with a series of french doors that open on both sides out to the gardens, the large winterized structure is the perfect place for events of all kinds and available to the public as a rental facility. In 2015, Stonehedge re-structured as a cooperative that includes the following member organizations: • Stonehedge Gardens, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit • Stonehedge Artist Cooperative & Gallery • Black Diamond Pottery • The Seed House |
click for larger image
photo by Scott Lapp
Vision Statement by Russell Keich
August 1999
My vision is for a center – with the purpose to educate in holistic concepts of health, healing, spirituality, environment, awareness of our oneness, respect of our differences, and the joy and variety these differences bring to our lives - A place for peace, quietude, escapes, meditation and communion with nature.
I envision a place for lectures, workshops on horticulture, herbalism, pottery and any related subjects, as well as, those mentioned above, including the various arts, music, the visual and performing arts.
I’d like to see The Gardens further developed and refined with concept, experimental, and a memorial gardens. Plants labeled with names and information for special interest tours - a library; a sales area for: arts, crafts, plants, herbs, books and all related materials.
I do not want it to ever become a place of traditional tourism that might disrupt the sense of naturalness of the property or the holistic concept. I would like lifelong residence for myself and perhaps a chosen person, and some means for my personal privacy. I would like to eliminate myself from the operation so that I could pursue my art and love of gardening. I’d like to create a trust that would assure the perpetuation of the center. And I would also like to live long enough to see it begin to come to fruition.
August 1999
My vision is for a center – with the purpose to educate in holistic concepts of health, healing, spirituality, environment, awareness of our oneness, respect of our differences, and the joy and variety these differences bring to our lives - A place for peace, quietude, escapes, meditation and communion with nature.
I envision a place for lectures, workshops on horticulture, herbalism, pottery and any related subjects, as well as, those mentioned above, including the various arts, music, the visual and performing arts.
I’d like to see The Gardens further developed and refined with concept, experimental, and a memorial gardens. Plants labeled with names and information for special interest tours - a library; a sales area for: arts, crafts, plants, herbs, books and all related materials.
I do not want it to ever become a place of traditional tourism that might disrupt the sense of naturalness of the property or the holistic concept. I would like lifelong residence for myself and perhaps a chosen person, and some means for my personal privacy. I would like to eliminate myself from the operation so that I could pursue my art and love of gardening. I’d like to create a trust that would assure the perpetuation of the center. And I would also like to live long enough to see it begin to come to fruition.
