Orchid conservatory at Stowe Botanical Garden named in honor Bill Williamson
The orchid conservatory at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has been named the William H. Williamson III Orchid Conservatory in honor of his longtime service and commitment to the garden.
The naming came at a luncheon and reception held at the garden on Thursday, May 12.
"Bill has been unbelievably generous with both his time and his energy," said Stowe Board Chairman D. Harding Stowe. "Bill recognizes that this garden is a work in progress and that it will always be a work in progress."
The question that has always guided Williamson's service, Stowe said, is "How do we serve people by providing them (access to) nature?"
In responding to the naming of the orchid conservatory in his honor, Williamson said, "This is not about me. This is about the vision that Daniel Stowe had in setting aside this spectacular location for a world-class garden."
Williamson urged the garden's supporters who attended the event "to get more young people involved in the leadership. We must continue this vision."
The garden's horticulture staff presented Williamson with an original commemorative shovel from when work on the garden first began in August of 1995.
Stowe Interim Director Art Gallagher also read a letter to Williamson from former UNC Chapel Hill men's basketball coach Roy Williams, praising him for his long record of community service and leadership.
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Williamson co-chaired the campaign to build the garden's orchid conservatory — a striking, glass-paneled tropical preserve. The conservatory displays orchids and other tropical species among a backdrop of butterflies and special displays.
Williamson has been a supporter of the garden since its inception more than three decades ago.
In 1991, Daniel J. Stowe, a retired textile executive from Belmont, reserved 380 acres of prime rolling meadows, woodlands, and lakefront property in southern Gaston County and established a foundation upon which to develop a world-class botanical garden.
A lifelong nature lover and gardening enthusiast, Stowe and his wife Alene envisioned a complex evolving over several decades to rival other internationally-renowned gardens.
On the eve of the garden's grand opening, Williamson said, "Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden begins its life with a finer piece of property, better planning, and stronger financial backing than any I have ever visited.
"It is an outstanding opportunity to create a garden that reflects what this region is about," he continued. "It is indeed a garden that will evolve through the generations."
A native of Charlotte, Williamson, who will turn 92 later this month, is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and an Army veteran.
A financial planner and adviser, he established Williamson Investors LP as one of the earliest North Carolina investment firms.
Known for his civic involvement, Williamson has not only served on the board of directors at Stowe, but also on the boards of the Charlotte Opera, the Mint Museum of Art, the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, and the Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust.
Bill Poteat may be reached at bpoteat@gastongazette.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Belmont Stowe Garden orchid conservatory named after Bill Williamson
