In 1932, Ohio worker lost his job and spent 12 years building a rock garden
After losing his job during the Great Depression, Harry George 'Ben' Hartman spent 12 years transforming his backyard into an elaborate folk art environment. The site, featuring over 250,000 stones and hand-painted figures, remains a significant piece of American folk art history.
Why it matters
Serves as a historical human-interest story about resilience and the preservation of unique cultural landmarks.
When Harry George "Ben" Hartman lost his job as an iron moulder at the Springfield Machine Tool Company during the Great Depression, he picked up a trowel and began digging a small concrete fishing pond in his backyard. That simple project soon grew across his entire residential lot. Over 12 years, Hartman built a huge folk art environment using more than 250,000 stones, concrete, metal scraps, wood and recycled glass. After his death in 1944, his wife Mary cared for the entire complex on her own for 53 years, protecting what became one of the leading folk art environments in the United States.
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