1957 - Arnold Bartschi Crafts the Idea for Swiss Pines

Bartschi quickly realizes that he wants his Charlestown Township land to be used for recreation and not for business. While wandering his estate he discovers a handful of Japanese statuary placed there years early by William Llewellyn. He also discovers a grove of Swiss Stone Pine trees, which reminds him of his home in Switzerland.

An avid traveler and horticulturalist, Bartschi decides to transform the property into an extensive garden space, the cornerstone of which would be a multi-acre Japanese garden. Inspired by the grove of trees he discovered, he opts to name the property “Swiss Pines.”