Kenilworth Park in Northeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Original Hothouses
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Steam Heat
The hothouses at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens date to 1913, when the Shaw family operated a flourishing business growing and selling aquatic plants.
The warm environment of hothouses gives tropical water lilies a running start during the winter. They begin in small pots submerged in large tanks of water, heated by a steam system.
By late spring, they are transferred to the display pools behind the building, and then eventually moved to the lily ponds. This was the practice when the Shaw family tended the hothouses and is continued by the National Park Service to this day.
[Captions:]
Volunteers help park staff propagate, label and care for water lilies, and assist in maintaining healthy and safe ponds, wetlands, and trails.
Helen Shaw Fowler, last private owner of the Aquatic Gardens, working in this hothouse.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.
Location. 38° 54.77′ N, 76° 56.512′ W.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Helen Shaw Fowler (a few steps from this marker); Preserve and Protect (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens! (within shouting distance of this marker); Display Pools (within shouting distance of this marker); Beauty and Business (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 21, 2026
2. Original Hothouses Marker in front of one of the hothouses
Other markers no longer nearby. Aquatic Greenhouse #1 (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed); Aquatic Greenhouse #3 (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 46 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 21, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
