Tryon Palace – Kellenberger Garden - The Sociable Adventurer

For one of the most charming and beautifully designed gardens on the Tryon Palace grounds, the Kellenberger Garden is a real treasure. Set within the Palace complex in downtown New Bern, NC in Craven County, this delightful walled “privy garden” evokes the intimacy of colonial-era private gardens while honoring May Gordon Latham Kellenberger and her husband, John — key benefactors in the restoration of Tryon Palace. With its layered family preservation story, its Colonial Revival design, and the stained-glass effect of its plantings, the Kellenberger Garden is one of the most quietly meaningful gardens you can visit on the 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.

A Walled “Privy Garden” Honoring the Kellenbergers

The Kellenberger Garden is a beautifully designed walled “privy garden” — a term used historically for the kind of small, private, enclosed garden that was once common at colonial-era homes. Such gardens were intended as intimate, semi-private retreats, set apart from the more public landscape elements by walls or hedges.

The garden honors May Gordon Latham Kellenberger and her husband, John, two of the most important benefactors of the Tryon Palace restoration. May Gordon Latham Kellenberger continued a family legacy of preservation that had been started by her mother, Maude Moore Latham — the visionary whose collection of decorative arts helped furnish the rebuilt Palace and whose name now graces the Latham Garden. Together, the Latham and Kellenberger families gave generations of devoted support to one of the most ambitious historic preservation projects in the American South.

Designed by Morley Jeffers Williams in the 1950s

The Kellenberger Garden was designed in the 1950s by Morley Jeffers Williams, the noted American landscape architect who oversaw the broader Tryon Palace garden program during the original restoration era. Williams was one of the most accomplished landscape architects of the mid-20th century, with significant restoration work also on the gardens at Mount Vernon and Stratford Hall. His careful eye for historical authenticity helped shape the Tryon Palace garden complex into one of the most architecturally precise Colonial Revival landscapes in the American South.

A Stained-Glass Effect of Colors

The Kellenberger Garden exemplifies the Colonial Revival style that defined the broader Tryon Palace garden restoration. The plantings combine heirloom and modern plant varieties — including marigolds and celosia, both of which were popular garden choices in the 18th century — arranged to create what the original designers described as a vibrant “stained-glass effect of colors.”

The result is a garden that’s genuinely meant to be appreciated from multiple vantage points: both at ground level, where the layered colors and textures of the plantings reveal themselves up close, and from within the Palace, where the garden’s full geometric beauty unfolds like a tapestry. Few other gardens at Tryon Palace are designed with this dual-perspective intentionality.

A 2019 Renovation in Mrs. Kellenberger’s Favorite Pink

In 2019, the garden underwent a thoughtful renovation that emphasizes year-round blooms — with a particular focus on pink flowers, which were May Gordon Latham Kellenberger’s favorite. The renovation was a quiet but deeply meaningful gesture, blending historical authenticity with a personal tribute to one of the garden’s most important benefactors.

For visitors, the result is a garden that feels both deeply rooted in colonial-era tradition and warmly personal — a space where the design choices reveal not just historical scholarship, but genuine affection for the people who made the broader restoration possible.

Good to Know

Style: Colonial Revival walled “privy garden”
Named for: May Gordon Latham Kellenberger and her husband, John, key Tryon Palace restoration benefactors
Family preservation legacy: May Gordon Latham Kellenberger was the daughter of Maude Moore Latham, who also championed the Palace restoration
Designed by: Morley Jeffers Williams in the 1950s (also worked at Mount Vernon and Stratford Hall)
Featured plants: Heirloom and modern varieties, including marigolds and celosia
Distinctive feature: A stained-glass effect of colors visible from both ground level and the interior of the Palace
2019 renovation: Year-round blooms with a focus on pink flowers — Mrs. Kellenberger’s favorite
Best for: Garden enthusiasts, history lovers, photographers, 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 Kellenberger Garden is the kind of stop that rewards visitors who appreciate the layered stories behind a great historic landscape. The walled “privy garden” intimacy, the meaningful tribute to May and John Kellenberger and their preservation legacy, the elegant Colonial Revival design by Morley Jeffers Williams, the stained-glass effect of layered colors visible from both ground and Palace interior, and the 2019 renovation that honors Mrs. Kellenberger’s favorite pink blooms all add up to one of the most quietly beautiful and deeply personal gardens you can visit on the Tryon Palace grounds. Whether you’re a serious garden enthusiast, a history-lover with an eye for restoration stories, or just looking for a peaceful moment between Palace tours, this is one of the most rewarding stops you can make in Craven County.