This blog post was written by Brandon Lunsford, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room Volunteer  

In December 2024, the Carolina Room received a generous donation from the Wing Haven Foundation, forming the new Wing Haven Collection. This collection documents the history of one of Charlotte’s most exceptional hidden gems—Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary. Located at 248 Ridgewood Avenue in the Myers Park neighborhood, Wing Haven began as the private residence and garden of Elizabeth and Eddie Clarkson. The couple built their home in 1927 as one of the first in the new neighborhood. Elizabeth’s interest in gardening transformed the once barren red clay landscape into a lush paradise of color. Her interest in birds and their habitats soon led to the creation of a sanctuary, attracting both feathered visitors and human admirers. Friends, neighbors, and professional ornithologists were welcomed to enjoy the gardens, where birds even felt comfortable enough to fly through the house and perch on Elizabeth’s arms as she played the piano. It was likely one of the only places in the world where birds and people coexisted in such harmony. In 1970, the Clarksons established the Wing Haven Foundation, officially opening the gardens to the public.

The collection also preserves the decades-long love story between Elizabeth and Eddie, which began in 1924. Author Mary Norton Kratt describes their courtship in her book, A Bird in the House: The Story of Wing Haven Gardens: “Elizabeth Barnhill told Eddie Clarkson on their first date in Boston, where he was working and where she was attending the New England Conservatory of Music, how she and her mother had raised white-winged doves.” After five years of courtship in seven states and one foreign country, Eddie and Elizabeth became engaged. After Eddie’s father urged him not to ‘let that pretty, little auburn-haired girl get away,’ Eddie drove to Uvalde, TX to propose to her.