Statement from Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens
The Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens, Inc. was founded in 2017 as a citizen grassroots effort to save the property, which culminated in the purchase of Mimosa Hall by the City of Roswell. Our mission: to champion sustainable preservation of Mimosa Hall and Gardens, where history and culture engage and uplift community, and to preserve, share, and promote the history of Roswell and of Mimosa Hall.
Operating under three Pillars of Conservation & Sustainability, Arts and Culture, and Building the Beloved Community, our Business Model has focused on the following:
Restoration, Preservation, Education, and Accessibility of Mimosa Hall and Gardens for public and private events, programs, and activities.
Development of a Master Plan for the gardens and grounds, with the goal of restoring the salvageable Neel Reid Gardens and creating new contemporary garden attractions. All plans are to be guided by a dedication to sustainability, integrity in historic preservation, and promotion of a pedestrian-friendly historic district.
Any renovations to the site would be implemented with respect for the natural environment and with minimal impact.
Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens brought relevance to the house and gardens by activating lectures, workshops, engagements, and events focused on education, arts, history, sustainability, beloved community, holidays, and family. Since 2019, Friends has operated and hosted hundreds of these types of programs and events through its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City.
Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens, Inc. also championed, directed, and financially supported the addition of a solar roof and battery system for the house, initiating the process for Mimosa Hall to become the OLDEST NET-ZERO HOME in North America. This national designation will soon be upon us, which once again supports the Conservation & Sustainability Pillar of Friends.
Friends has raised approximately $530,000 to date to support our mission and pillars, provide programming and events for the community, and offer financial support for the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction of Mimosa Hall and the historic buildings and gardens through philanthropic means, sponsorships, and donations.
We appreciate the dedication and investment of the City of Roswell - our Mayor, City Council, and Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs employees – to our historic assets. We have a history of successful collaboration and investment in our heritage and the future of Roswell and wish to remain a dedicated partner with the City. While we want to take time to celebrate the efforts of the City to add value to the citizenry through the revitalization of these assets, we must acknowledge the shortcomings of the plans that are currently being implemented.
The Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens, Inc. were surprised and deeply saddened by the recent clear-cutting at Mimosa Hall and Bulloch Hall. The removal of specimen trees occurred as part of a process that is leaving many in the community concerned about the preservation of these historic landscapes.
Throughout the planning process for “Founders Park,” Friends understood that specimen trees would be preserved, with planters built around the root systems. Multiple prior tree surveys had been completed on the Mimosa Hall property in efforts to minimize impacts to specimen trees and the Neel Reid gardens, particularly during construction or development projects.
During our May 2025 board meeting, city staff presented what we understood to be the final plan for “Founders Park.” However, the plan presented in that meeting was not the City’s final plan as of April 18, 2025. No updated detailed information about the number of trees coming down was shared, either.
The May presentation did not include any information regarding the 60 trees (35 specimen trees) being removed. Specimen trees are recognized for their exceptional size, age, historical significance, or unique characteristics, making them particularly important community assets. In the past, when specimen trees were removed due to lightning strikes, Friends had been offered wood for future use. Friends was not provided the same opportunity during recent site work to utilize wood for sustainable use on the property.
Following the recent tree removal, Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens, Inc. has initiated dialogue with City staff and elected officials to obtain greater clarity on this project and to continue developing plans for delivery of future educational, historic, arts, and sustainability programming and special events to return to the house and property once construction is complete. This will be vital for our organization’s successful support for the home through grants, donations, fundraising, and marketing efforts. Through this dialogue with the City, Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens has formally requested that the City of Roswell:
allow the public to review the development plan and provide input.
implement change orders in the plan for the installation of permeable pavers for the allee to match the east service driveway and for parking areas (vs. concrete in current plan). We request gravel and/or crushed rock materials be used for all walkways or parking areas in the interim until said permeable pavers can be purchased and installed.
complete a second Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) study in the southwest corner of the property (the first one was incomplete due to the ivy and bamboo), plus any other areas that are now accessible, including the new retention pond area (Holly Hill was not a part of the original GPR study). We request that the City coordinate use of metal detection devices to determine if any historical artifacts were missed in the prior study. Friends would support the collection and formal cataloguing into the city archives on any such artifacts.
a City plan with dedicated resources to assess and protect the remaining trees on the properties, including a plan to protect the critical root zone (CRZ) and structural root plate (SRP) of all remaining specimen trees. Protecting both CRZ and SRP is essential for the long-term survival and stability of the specimen trees.
a commitment from the City to reforest the grounds and restore the tree canopy at Mimosa by implementing a native/specimen tree planting program to replace the specimen trees removed, per the City’s Native Plant Resolution of June 2021.
time for public input and comments regarding the additional vendor parking and Phase II additions/changes/deletions to the project plans.
the City of Roswell to join other metro Atlanta communities in partnering/adopting/funding Trees Atlanta’s NeighborWoods Yard Tree and Urban Trees programs in Roswell.
Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens, Inc. is committed to our mission and the three Pillars we operate from. We are optimistic about the future of our historic properties through our partnership with the City of Roswell and our commitment to Roswell’s Historic Assets and Sustainable Preservation. This requires consistent communication and clarity moving forward toward our common goals of Restoration, Preservation, Education, and Accessibility, as well as celebrating our diverse cultural identity and unique heritage. We will work together toward these goals by being faithful stewards of the land, and by telling Roswell’s stories through events, education, programming, people, places and ideas in order to impart an understanding of the past to our future generations.
