Belle Camp Blog

The Bellingrath Morse Foundation had its very first meeting on February 1, 1950 with Walter Bellingrath serving as chairman and Turner Rice, an employee of the First National Bank’s Trust Department acting as secretary. There were three other members serving that day:

• Walter K. Smith, Vice President of Mobile Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Mr. Smith was a founding partner in our accounting firm, Smith Dukes.
• William C. Dorgan (married to Bessie Bellingrath’s sister, Pearl), another Vice President of Coca-Cola and General Sales Manager, and
• C. Ernest Edgar, Jr., Mrs. Bellingrath’s nephew and Secretary-Treasurer for Mobile’s Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

The board makeup would change over the years leading up to Mr. Bellingrath’s death, but here are some interesting events and some items discussed over the first two years of the board’s existence as Mr. Bell formed his ideas for the future operations of Bellingrath Gardens and Home:

1950:

• Feb. 1, Snack Bar opened.

1952:

• April, a heavy hailstorm broke over 200 panes of glass in the Conservatory/Palm House. August 5, Monolith dedicated.
• November 25, voted that the admission price for the Bellingrath Home would always exceed the price of general admission by “25% or more.”
• Walter Bellingrath transferred and delivered the principal part of the furnishings of the Home as well as “fixtures and embellishments” to the Foundation. And he stated: “The care in proper order of these articles requires constant attention which must be performed by someone having intimate knowledge of their value, arrangement and care to preserve said articles, many of which are irreplaceable.”
• Voted that no one will be allowed to live in the Home or have use of items from the Bessie Morse Bellingrath Collection.
• Voted to allow for the Guest House to be converted, if needed, to a residence for Gardens manager with a portion of the garage enclosed for a kitchen and dining room. This would reduce the space to allow for 4 rather than 6 vehicles.
• Voted to never allow the Chapel to be used for residential or refreshment purposes.
• Walter Bellingrath announced, “I have no objection if the Lodge is torn down if it is then landscaped and used as part of the Gardens proper.”
• Approved the installation of a new hot water boiler for the Bellingrath Home. Old one was leaking.
• U. S. Highway 90 has been four laned.

Next up: 1953-the months following Walter Bellingrath’s death in 1955.