President's Message: The Huntington as a Gathering Place

April 7, 2023 - The Huntington as a Gathering Place

This spring, with the bursting forth of wisteria, puyas, and then roses, among other eye-popping delights, we also welcome the reopening of our iconic and beloved Rose Garden Tea Room, shuttered by COVID in March 2020 and then kept offline for three years as it underwent a major renovation project.

The results are stunning, and we look forward to sharing them with you (the Tea Room officially opens for dining on May 24; reservations can be made on OpenTable beginning May 10).

The Tea Room—renowned as a special spot for birthdays, bridal and baby showers, and other milestone celebrations—has, in fact, been a gathering place for its entire existence, as it once served as Henry E. Huntington’s billiard room and bowling alley. While exterior photographs from the period exist, sadly, no pictures of the interior remain. But we know from various records and from the physical shape of the building that the billiards and card room occupied the large space with the fireplace at the front of the building, where the tearoom is situated. The two-lane bowling alley occupied the back of the building, where the long, galley-style kitchen now sits.

When we began to dismantle the building for renovation, we had hoped to preserve the original bowling alley floor, but after serving as a very busy kitchen space for nearly 100 years, the original flooring was simply not salvageable. We did find, however, in opening up the walls, a trove of old playing cards along with a bridge scorepad dating back many decades. Intriguing messages from the past.

It is said that back in the 1920s, Henry E. Huntington played cards with his neighbor, George Patton (father of the decorated World War II general), and in friendly bets, would routinely lose, and then win back, a portion of The Huntington grounds on the estate’s west side, bordering the Patton property. This appears to be a bit of Huntington lore, but the part about card playing is not: Friendly card games have been a part of The Huntington’s culture among both scholars and staff since the institution was established, and many of those games were played in the building that became the Tea Room (as well as the staff lunchroom) after Huntington’s death in 1927.

Today, staff can still be found playing bridge at 1919 Cafe at lunchtime.

When COVID hit and The Huntington closed to the public, people pleaded with us via email, calls, and social media to open the grounds, and we did so as soon as we could. Clearly, folks were eager to be outside, and they were longing for safe places to come together. As we planned the renovation of the Tea Room, we were particularly struck by this need and intentionally worked to create more dining space in the open air. Today, the Tea Room includes beautiful exterior dining options adjacent to the Shakespeare and Herb gardens.

Gathering is an age-old ritual—a social and spiritual practice meant to nurture a sense of belonging and community. We are proud that The Huntington serves as a gathering place for so many. Whether for tea, group birdwatching, a lunchtime card game, an exhibition, or a multitude of other reasons, people convene here. The Huntington has been called a place of renewal and restoration, but that’s often in the context of the individual. So, to that, I’d add another apt descriptor: a place to reconnect.

Karen R. Lawrence, President