A showplace for Carrington

With nearly a half million dollars in donations and pledged funds on the books, Carrington Rainbow Gardens is inching a little closer to reality.

Plans are to build a Japanese garden and visitor center in the heart of downtown Carrington on Main Street. The site was once home to the Miami Grill restaurant, which was owned by Harry and Anne Hayashi after they sold the Rainbow Gardens to the Ihringer family.

Through the work of volunteers aided by CCEDC Director Laurie Dietz, the project is progressing. New signs were recently installed on the southeast corner of the site to mark the spot where activity is expected to begin as early as this spring.

Carrington Rainbow Gardens president Dennis Swanson said Monday that they will engage structural engineers once the ground thaws, who will conduct ground testing to ensure that the site is adequate.

All the existing trees on the lot will also be removed, to make room for new plantings that match the aesthetic of a Japanese garden.

Meanwhile, fundraising efforts continue. The committee has generated close to 40 percent of their goal in donations and grants. With the total project estimated at $1.2 million, volunteers are actively pursuing individual donors, private foundation grant programs and federal and state funds wherever possible to bring Carrington Rainbow Gardens to life.

The wall on the west side, adjacent to Schulz Plumbing and Heating, will get a new coat of paint for now, and eventually a fresh mural. Volunteers have asked Megan Trautman and her high school art class at Carrington Public School to come up with a mural design that reflects the Rainbow Garden theme.

Some of the iconic features of the original Rainbow Garden will be incorporated into the garden, as space allows. Maintenance is an important consideration in the design as well, as they want to keep annual upkeep of the project manageable for what they anticipate will be limited volunteers and staff.

The building planned for the site will not only serve as a gathering place for visitors, but also hold interpretive value. Inside, artifacts and documents will be on display that tell the story of the original Rainbow Gardens and its long history in the community under the ownership of both the Hayashi and Ihringer families.

The building will also be headquarters for the Carrington Chamber and Economic Development Corporation and Carrington Convention & Visitors Bureau, so staff can both provide services to local residents and businesses and welcome visitors, connecting them to other things to see and do in the community.

As Swanson and Dietz envision it, Carrington Rainbow Gardens will be a showplace for Carrington on Main Street and serve as a catalyst for more downtown revitalization.

They referenced the recently-completed Main Street Revitalization Plan. The Carrington Rainbow Gardens project fits into the vision and strategies in the plan written with input from residents and community leaders.

Committee members are determined to complete the project using only grant funds and voluntary private donations. Therefore, the Japanese garden is the first priority.

Anyone that has any information, photos or history to share about Rainbow Gardens in any era, please contact Laurie Dietz at the Carrington Chamber & Economic Development Corporation. Call (701) 652-2524 or email [email protected].

Donations of all sizes are welcome and appreciated. Please send contributions to Carrington Rainbow Gardens, 871 Main Street, Carrington, ND 58421.