Commissioned by George Carter in 1810, Oatlands’ greenhouse has protectively housed a variety of plant-life over the years, including citrus trees and roses. In 1903, the Eustis family installed a state-of-the-art Lord & Burnham roof, made of old-growth cypress and glass panes. By 2010, the roof suffered from severe deterioration, particularly to elements from a previous repair. Due to the scarcity of appropriate replacement material, Oatlands and the National Trust for Historic Preservation decided on a new roof made of extruded aluminum and glass, designed to emulate the historic roof. Today, the greenhouse is open every day with interpretive panels on Oatlands’ enslaved community and plants from the garden during the winter months.
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