George Ellwanger

Who was George Ellwanger?

George Ellwanger was a prominent horticulture scientist. Ellwanger was born in Württemberg, Germany and emigrated to the United States. Settling in Rochester, New York Ellwanger joined with Patrick Barry to form the Mount Hope Nursery in 1840. He also became an American citizen in 1840. In 1843 the nursery began publishing catalogs to increase sales.

Ellwanger and Barry entered the real estate business in 1856. Between 1872 and 1913, the firm developed the area now known as Linden-South Historic District on the oldest part of the nursery. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Ellwanger died in 1906 and is buried across the street from his former nursery in Mount Hope Cemetery. The Ellwanger family monument was designed there by famous Italian artist Nicola Cantalamessa-Papotti.

Ellwanger and Barry donated part of their property to the City of Rochester to form Highland Park. Their efforts helped change Rochester from the "Flour City" to the "Flower City".