In 2019, the Arboretum celebrated its 100 year anniversary in Quincy. A botanical garden intended in part for scientific study, Babcock Arboretum features signage with the Latin and common names of plants and trees as well as recognition of who may have gifted them.
A registered arboretum, Babcock Arboretum is named in honor of Professor J. Verner Babcock, who taught botany at the college from 1938 to 1978.
Eastern Nazarene College is situated on a section of land that was originally part of the historic Quincy family estate. Originally a lush 400-acre property, the land was cleared over the years to build homes for Quincy family members, a girls’ school, and the college. The original homestead had a wide variety of plants, some of which are still on campus today.
Three original Norway Spruce trees remain on the left side of Canterbury Hall. The grand tree in the center of campus facing the student center was a gift in the late 1800s from Charles Francis Adams II to the Quincy Mansion School for Girls. An impressive specimen of the Beeches variety is believed to have traveled across the Atlantic from Europe in a small pot. Charles Francis Adams II, who was known for giving trees as gifts, ordered 50 Beeches from Europe around the turn of the century. Not all of the trees on campuses were gifts, but a good number of them were donated in memory of individuals or groups associated with the college.
You’ve probably noticed small plaques adorning some of the trees on ENC’s campus connecting the plant to ENC’s Babcock Arboretum. Since 1993, ENC’s collection of 75 varieties has been designated an official arboretum named for the colorful Professor J.Verner Babcock who taught botany at ENC from 1938 until 1978.
An arboretum is a botanical garden containing a collection of plants intended at least partly for scientific study.
These signs have the trees Latin name, the common name, and a number assigned to that plant. They also designate whether that tree was gifted on behalf of a specific person and if so, who it was gifted by.
ENC sits on part of the land of the historic Quincy family estate. Originally a 400 acre property full of beautiful trees and flowers, the land would host numerous homes for the Quincy family members of the years, a school for girls, and eventually ENC. The original homestead had a wide variety of plants each specially chosen for the unique climate and location. Some of those plants are still standing and are the basis of ENC’s arboretum. Today three of the properties original Norway Spruce trees remain on the left side of Canterbury Hall. The grand tree in the center of campus facing the student center is believed to have been a gift in the late 1800s from Charles Francis Adams II to the Quincy Mansion School for Girls. What is today an impressive specimen of the Beeches variety, once traveled from Europe across the Atlantic in a small pot. Charles Francis Adams II was known for giving trees as gifts and had ordered 50 Beeches from Europe around the turn of the century. You can see some of his other Beeches at his property on Hospital Hill in Boston.
Not all of the trees on campuses were gifts, but a good number of them were donated in memory of a special individual or group. These are just a few of the many trees that were gifted to the campus. The next time you’re taking a walk, take a moment to glance at the trees you pass. Take advantage of ENC’s beautiful outdoor museum!
Aesthetically, the trees add grandeur and majesty to our compact campus. Imagine ENC with no plantings! It becomes apparent that the space that the trees occupy is not simply the emptiness between buildings, but vast, inviting outdoor rooms and corridors. To walk from the open campus lawn into the shelter of the central grove provides a powerful, psychological hug which speaks of arrival, protection, and inclusion. The peace and serenity of our site soothes our spirits and refreshes our minds as we hurry through the crowded days and endless schedules. The trees remain stable, unhurried, a fortress.
