VISIT JOSEPH SMITH BIRTHPLACE MEMORIAL

There are many things to see around the Monument and the Visitor's Center and the area.  Here are a few of the things we have seen.  There are others that we plan to visit soon.  The Solomon Mack Home, the Old Turnpike Road, the Stone Bridge and Original Stone Wall are about 1/4-1/2 mile down into the woods behind the memorial.  These foundations are the original ones and date back to the early 1800s. Visitors may walk down and back or the Visitor's Center Missionaries have a Stretch Golf cart that visitors may ride on.  It is a pretty walk down, but a little steep coming back.

We also visited Topsfield, Massuchusetts, with Elder George and Sister Sunya Osborn.  There are some markers for the Smith Family which are ancestors of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  This is the birthplace of Asael and Joseph Smith Sr.  It is the Smith Homestead.  Five generations

of Smiths lived on the Smith homestead and four generations lived in the Old Smith Farmhouse.  Aseal, the Prophet Joseph Smith's grandfather, made the "big move" in 1791 when he left the old Smith homestead and moved first to Ipswich for six months, and then to Tunbridge, VT, where Joseph Smith Sr. met his future bride, Lucy Mack.  Tunbridge is next to South Royalton and Sharon.

This is a marker for the Smith Family in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Topsfield, Mass..  The cemetery. contains the graves of Robert Smith, Samuel Smith I, and Samuel Smith II.  The exact location of these graves is unknown, but a Smith family marker in remembrance of the Smiths here was erected in 1873 under the direction of George A. Smith, counselor to Brigham Young.  Samuel Smith II is the grandfather of Joseph Smith Sr. who is the father of Joseph Smith Jr

George is a direct descendant of George A. Smith whose name appears on one side of the marker saying he was responsible for placing it here.

SPRINGTIME AT THE JSBM

Here are some pictures of the various gardens at the Memorial.  Some of the pictures were taken before the flowers were at their peak, so they don't show how really pretty they have been.  I just wanted to show all of the gardens, so you can see how much there is to do to take care of all of them and also how pretty the flowers are.  Our Boss, Joe, told us he has never seen the Memorial look this good so we have felt really happy about that.  The hard work has paid off.  All of the bulbs were planted last fall, so we just get to see the results of the last missionaries' hard work.  We have spent lots of time weeding, pruning, putting down mulch and transplanting flowers.  The biggest thing is weeding because everything grows so fast and I don't know half of the weeds from the flowers.  I error on the side of not pulling anything up that might be a flower.  I do know what a dandilion looks like and have pulled plenty of them.

Here we are at the Monument with the flowers.  It is a little cloudy so the colors aren't as bright

Here are the different gardens.

Mirror Garden there is one that is mirror image of it across the lawn 

Side Walk Garden  There are 6 of these, one on each side of the 3 levels leading to the monument

White Garden  

Half Circle Garden  a Mirror garden is on either side

Astillbe Garden

Shade Garden  This is the biggest garden.  It goes around  a hill

Special Garden

Wing Garden

Sidewalk Garden

Bulb Garden

Bulb Garden

Mailbox Garden

This is named the Handicapped Garden because it is by the Handicapped parking but I am
renaming it the Special Garden

Front Gate Garden

Monument Garden

                  Here are some pictures of the flowers.  I got a little carried away taking pictures.