The Cambridge Community Gardens were previously used by the Asgrow Seed Company as trial gardens, mostly for flowers. Here is a photo from the late 1960's or early 1970's:
The Asgrow Company occupied the former Rice Seed Company seed house, which still stands nearby. Here is a photo of that from around 1910. The bridge in the foreground also still exists, and is said to be the oldest covered wooden footbridge in the United States:
And here is an example of some of the old advertisements from the Rice Seed Company, showing a somewhat scary looking potato man. Potatoes were an important local crop, and are still grown in significant quantities in Washington County:
The J.B. Rice Experimental Gardens were located along route 22 south of the village, and not on the site of today's Cambridge Community Garden.
If you have more information about the former Asgrow experimental garden, or other photos of the garden or associated company buildings and materials, please email them to sdeibel at cambridgeny.net.
