Tuesday, June 27, 2006
It’s a landmark that students, faculty and alumni pass by every day without even noticing.
Nestled along the exterior of the Museum of Anthropology is Weaver Courtyard, a garden that once served as a serene place of respite for campus visitors. However, the once-beautiful alcove on the eastern side of campus has become ragged, overgrown and decayed; hardly a place most passers-by would notice, let alone enter for a breath of “fresh” garden air.
Emily Louni, Watson Library employee, and Nazim Louni, Algiers, Algeria graduate student, enjoy lunch in the Weaver Courtyard, adjacent to the Museum of Anthropology in Spooner Hall. The courtyard was donated to the University in the 1960s, but has since been neglected and not properly maintained.
Students and faculty in the Museum, east of the Kansas Union, have become irritated with the unkempt nature of the courtyard. Bobbi Rahder, who works in the Center for Indigenous Nations Studies, and some of her students have worked on a proposal for the Facilities Operations that would give them permission to turn the area into a “serenity garden” designed to celebrate different cultures. The proposal has not yet been presented.
Mary J. Adair, Ph.D., associate curator for the Museum, said she is also unhappy with the condition of the garden. She offered the ideas of turning it into a garden for monarch butterflies or a garden for native plants. Either way, she said, changes need to be made.
“It’s a poor reflection of this building to have it in the condition it’s in,” Adair said.
Arthur B. Weaver and Amarette Veatch donated the garden in 1960 in honor of their father, Arthur D. Weaver. Arthur D. Weaver owned the locally-renowned Weaver’s Department Store Inc. He passed away on June 29th, 1951.
Approximately 10 years later, his children donated the Arthur D. Weaver Memorial Fountain Court in a ceremony that took place in the courtyard. In a statement found in the University of Kansas archives, it was said that “Since this memorial has been designed and planted with great attention to its appearance, it is hoped that visitors will cooperate fully with the University in preserving its beauty.”
While the current condition of the courtyard defies this notion, it is unclear where the blame lies as to who should be taking care of it.
Joe Flannery, President and CEO of Weaver’s Department Store Inc., said that he was unaware of any operation at the University that should be keeping the courtyard intact. He said that it was his understanding that the University and the Weaver family had an agreement that the Weavers would help with the courtyard’s upkeep.
As time has passed and the people who were instrumental in both the opening and the upkeep of the courtyard have died, little attention has been given to the once-beautiful spot on campus.
Flannery agreed that the Weaver Courtyard needs to be refurbished and properly maintained. As the inquiry of the courtyard’s condition brought attention to the matter, Flannery said that he decided something should be done to maintain the area.
“Because of our love for the Weaver family, we’ll be happy to keep it up,” Flannery said. “We’ll be happy to maintain it.”
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