North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens

1825 Sweeney Street

The North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens at 1825 Sweeney Street was officially named the Adam Gondek Botanical Gardens.This wonderful and peaceful spot, which includes a boat launching area for boaters using the Canal, a greenhouse, and a setting often utilized for wedding photographs, was once a field, with a storage facility for DDT located there.

Adam J. Gondek, an engineer at the Remington Rand facility on Sweeney Street, and his wife, Mary, lived in the Wurlitzer Park area of the city. The Gondeks were involved with a group of residents of Wurlitzer Park who created a garden club. The garden club members, all volunteers, including the Gondeks, created a lovely park for residents and visitors to the city to enjoy. The project they initiated was known as “The Colorful Tonawandas Botanical Garden and Nursery” project, and was meant to beautify the community and attract tourists. The Colorful Tonawandas Committee was given $2,000 in November 1962 for a greenhouse. Mrs. Charles E. Hewitt, Jr., was chairman of the group at the time. The Committee was given approval by the North Tonawanda Common Council for a $1,500 expenditure for the first phase of the program to develop the garden. The city funds were used to erect a work house and a botanical garden in the area between Sweeney Street and the Canal bank and Bush’s Bridge and East Robinson Street. Adam Gondek served as project chairman.

The total cost of the project was estimated at $10,000. By 1962 the committee had already purchased 600 evergreens and were beginning the planting. The original garden layout was designed by Adam Gondek. Mary Gondek became a groundskeeper for the city at the gardens, and Adam worked there for awhile as well, eventually being transferred to the Deerwood Golf Course across the street.

The gardens were dedicated as the “ Adam Gondek Gardens” on September 13, 1970.

The large front greenhouse came from LaSalle High School on Military Road in Niagara Falls in the 1980’s. The smaller rear portion had been used by Niagara County Community College. The greenhouse was dedicated as “New Conservatory and Workshop – Built in 1989” and was dedicated during Mayor Betty Hoffman’s term in office to the people of North Tonawanda to promote gardening by education and by example with the Master Gardener’s course and Niagara Community College.