McGill Rose Garden

Originally, the Avant Fuel & Ice Company, owned by Henry McGill, the garden was started humbly by his wife, Helen. Seeing the need for beautification in the urban area, she planted rose bushes along the fences adding color to the industrial streets of Charlotte. Over the years, and after the planting of over 500 rose bushes , the garden has become a spectacle to behold. On Mother’s Day, 1962, the garden opened to the public. To this day, hundreds come from all over the state to visit the beauty of McGill as a Mother’s Day tradition. In 1975 the business closed and the property was sold to the City of Charlotte as a public park available for all to enjoy. McGill is now a non-profit organization that hosts a community area for outside organizations to hold classes and a place for local artists to portray structural art pieces.