Dedication of the Thomas H. Perkins III Camellia Garden

Lincoln County Public Library

November 12, 2002

Upon completion of a renovation/new construction project at the Lincoln County Public Library in 2002, the Lincoln County Master Gardeners planned and planted a beautiful camellia garden at the west entrance in honor of Thomas H. Perkins III. Mr. Perkins, who served as International Camellia Society President for two terms, died in January 2000. His influence on the community and camellia community was far-reaching. In his honor, the Perkins family presented a lovely life-size bronze statue of a young girl, "Nina," reading a book of fairy tales. A dedication ceremony was held on a very cold, windy Tuesday but the camellias and sasanquas began blooming just in time for the ceremony. 

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1 West entrance of Lincoln County Public Library 2 Bill Perkins, brother of Thomas H. Perkins III, who got Thomas interested in camellias 3  Some Thomas Perkins' favorite camellias bloomed just in time 4An exhibit of camellia memorabilia belonging to Thomas Perkins 5 Friends and family gather for the ceremony 6   Chandler Russ, Chamber of Commerce, and Tom Moak, Lincoln County Library trustee   7 Friends and family 8 Marilyn Perkins Harris, Thomas Perkins' sister, and Phyllis Spearman 9 Mr. & Mrs. Hyram Norsworthy, Beaumont, Texas, who returned a Georgia Rouse camellia to the community 10 Chamber of Commerce representatives cut the ribbon 11Shirley Estes, Mistress of Ceremonies12 Bill Perkins talks about his brother's love of camellias 13 William Crawford, Chairman of Library Trustees, accepts garden 14Walter Krzymowski, camellia judge and friend of Thomas Perkins 15Refreshments enjoyed by the guests16 O-Nishiki sasanquas line the west walkway 17 Shishigashira sasanquas, a Mississippi Medallion winner 18 Kumagai (Nagoya) camellias also appear in the garden 19 Bronze sculpture of "Nina" reading fairy tales 

 Last updated 05/08/2003               

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Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library

100 South Jackson Street

Brookhaven, MS 39601