Awards

IU Historical Marker - 2020

About Ball Nurses’ Sunken Garden and Convalescent Park

Indiana University dedicated a historical marker in 2020 about the creation of the Ball Nurses’ Sunken Garden and Convalescent Park. The marker text follows:

A prime example of a therapeutic greenspace designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the Sunken Garden and Convalescent Park were part of a 1930 medical campus master plan devised by Percival Gallagher, a partner in the firm. Located behind the Ball Residence Hall for nursing students and named in honor of George and Frank Ball in recognition of their generous gift to Indiana University, the grounds served nursing staff, patients, and their families as a place of respite and renewal. The garden featured a fountain with a bronze figure of Eve by Indianapolis sculptor Robert Davidson. After the statue made its debut at the Chicago World’s Fair, it was installed in the garden in 1934, where it soon became a focal point for ceremonies, leading students to rechristen her “Flo.” In 1996, the garden and park were listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the university restored many features of the original design in 2016.