March 17, 2006 – The St. George Village Botanical Garden will hold the grand opening of the Bodine Visitor Center and Museum Store from 3 to 6 p.m. on March 26.
Garden benefactors Dick and Peggy Bodine have funded the visitor center, which is dedicated it to Dick Bodine's late wife Virginia Shannon Bodine, who agreed to fund the project before her death.
"We are so happy to see this long-awaited building complete," Dick Bodine said.
Garden board member Peggy Bodine said, "It is such a beautiful addition to our wonderful grounds and it will provide a whole new experience for everyone who comes to the garden."
Visitors will enter the garden through the visitor center, with self-guided walking tours beginning from the courtyard. Tours of the revised route will be offered during the grand opening.
The visitor center has an orientation center, a new museum store, handicapped-accessible bathrooms, a pergola and an open-air courtyard paved with engraved bricks.
The bricks have been sold over the past several years and the large courtyard ensures the continuation of this ongoing program; the prices range from $100 to $1,500. The bricks' ivory color is similar to the Danish bricks used in historic structures around St. Croix. Brick order forms will be available at the grand opening.
The Bodines will cut the ceremonial ribbon at 4 p.m., and a model of Estate St. George, as it was in the 1890s, will be unveiled after the ribbon cutting.
Artist George Seaman created the model, which was funded by Jay and Brenda Isherwood.
Artist Toni Lance has donated her original artwork of the St. George Garden to help fund the event.
Posters and cards will be on sale in the museum store, and Roger W. Morgan will auction off the original painting after the Seaman model is unveiled.
Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available. RSVP to Lesley Hoffman at 692-2874.