Tryon Palace – Hawks Allée - The Sociable Adventurer

For one of the most thoughtfully composed gardens on the Tryon Palace grounds, the Hawks Allée is a real treasure. Set within the broader Palace complex in downtown New Bern, NC in Craven County, this carefully designed garden walkway honors John Hawks — the architect of the original 1770 Palace — and now also serves as a vibrant pollinator prairie that blooms for nearly ten months of the year. With its layered history, its connection to the DuPont family, and its commitment to supporting pollinators, the Hawks Allée is one of the most genuinely meaningful spaces on the entire Palace grounds. Be sure to check out the YouTube video and pictures below to get a feel for the garden before you go — or to relive the visit after.

Named for John Hawks, the Original Palace Architect

The Hawks Allée takes its name from John Hawks, the English-born architect who designed the original Tryon Palace for Royal Governor William Tryon in the late 1760s. Hawks was one of the most accomplished colonial-era architects working in the American colonies, and his elegant Georgian design for Tryon Palace was widely praised as “the finest government house in the colonies” during its era.

The Allée was created in 1961, just two years after the completion of the meticulously reconstructed Palace in 1959 and following the establishment of the adjacent Latham Garden. Honoring Hawks’s central role in shaping the original Palace, the Allée was designed as a graceful formal walkway worthy of his legacy.

An Axial Endpoint and DuPont Family Gift

The Hawks Allée occupies a deliberately significant position on the Palace grounds. It serves as the endpoint of an axis that begins at the west door of the Stable Office and extends through the Latham Garden — a long, ceremonial view line that reflects the kind of careful axial design that defined formal European gardens of the 18th century.

The Allée originally featured four marble statues representing the seasons plus a terra cotta statue at its southern end — all generously donated by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Francis DuPont, descendants of John Hawks himself. Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) was a renowned antiques collector and the founder of the celebrated Winterthur Museum in Delaware, and the DuPont gift gave the Allée a tangible family connection to the original architect’s legacy.

A small note from our visit: when we explored the Allée in 2025, the terra cotta statue at the southern end had gone missing — with only its feet still remaining on the pedestal. The four marble statues representing the seasons remain in place.

From Formal Garden to Pollinator Prairie

Since 2017, the Hawks Allée has been transformed into a vibrant pollinator prairie — one of the most ecologically meaningful redesigns anywhere in the Palace complex. The new plantings bloom for an impressive ten months out of the year, with seasonal waves of perennials including purple coneflower, milkweed, and black-eyed Susans that draw bees, butterflies, songbirds, and other pollinators throughout the warm months.

The result is a garden that genuinely supports wildlife while also providing visitors with a constantly shifting, color-rich landscape that contrasts beautifully with the more formal gardens on either side. The pollinator-prairie reimagining is a wonderful example of how Tryon Palace continues to evolve its garden program in ways that honor both history and ecological responsibility.

Good to Know

Named for: John Hawks, architect of the original Tryon Palace
Created: 1961, following the 1959 Palace reconstruction and Latham Garden’s completion
Original axial design: Endpoint of an axis from the west door of the Stable Office through the Latham Garden
Statues: Four marble statues representing the seasons, plus a terra cotta statue (currently missing as of our 2025 visit, other than its feet)
Donor: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Francis DuPont — descendants of John Hawks and founders of the Winterthur Museum
Since 2017: Transformed into a pollinator prairie blooming for ten months of the year
Featured plants: Purple coneflower, milkweed, black-eyed Susans, and other pollinator-friendly perennials
Best for: Garden enthusiasts, history lovers, wildlife observers, and visitors who appreciate the layered stories behind a great historic landscape
Pair with: Our magnificent gardens guide and the list of gardens for a fuller look at the broader Tryon Palace garden complex
Located on the Tryon Palace grounds in downtown New Bern, NC

A Tryon Palace Highlight

The Hawks Allée is the kind of stop that rewards visitors who care about the layered stories behind a well-designed historic landscape. The tribute to John Hawks, the meaningful DuPont family connection, the elegant axial design that frames a view from the Stable Office through the Latham Garden, and the recent transformation into a vibrant pollinator prairie all add up to one of the most quietly remarkable gardens you can visit on the Tryon Palace grounds. Whether you’re a serious garden enthusiast, a history lover, or just looking for a peaceful moment full of seasonal color and wildlife activity, this is one of the most rewarding stops you can make in Craven County.