The site of Bellingrath Gardens was originally a semi-tropical jungle on the Isle-Aux-Coirs River. Walter and Bessie Morse Bellingrath acquired the property in 1917 for a private fishing lodge, and the land’s primeval beauty inspired them to develop one of the major garden shrines of the world. In 1927 they toured America and Europe to study renowned gardens and horticultural research, and that same year began transforming the woodlands into a destination for garden lovers from around the world. The gardens opened to the public for the first time on May 3, 1932. On February 1, 1950, Walter Bellingrath conveyed the gardens in perpetuity to the Bellingrath-Morse Foundation for religious and educational purposes, with admission proceeds above maintenance costs donated to churches and educational institutions named in the trust agreement. Walter Duncan Bellingrath, born in Atlanta on August 6, 1869, moved to Alabama in 1879 and to Mobile in 1904, and became a leader in industry, church, educational, and civic affairs in the South. Bessie Morse Bellingrath, born in Mobile on May 20, 1878, brought artistry, appreciation for beauty, and devotion to church, civic, and charitable causes to the creation of the gardens. Together they dreamed of, planned, and completed them. George B. Rogers, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects born in 1870, studied architecture in the United States, France, Spain, and Italy, came to Mobile in 1901 after a distinguished New England career, and as architect, designer, and builder gave form to the Bellingraths’ vision for the gardens and their buildings.