People kept asking Barb Toal what the Batavia Peace Garden was all about, and it was too great a concept for her to explain, so there was only one thing for her to do.

Write a book about it.

“The story is too big to tell, you know, it’s too hard to explain to people what it’s all about in five minutes,” said Toal, co-founder of the garden nestled around Holland Land Office Museum on West Main Street in Batavia. “And lots of people were asking me to tell them a little bit here, a little bit there. And I finally said, you know, if we don’t start documenting this, nobody’s gonna know what this is all about.”

There's been a bit more color and visual appeal that connects the Batavia Peace Garden with a second garden along the Tonawanda Creek behind the Genesee County Court House.

Artist Michelle Cryer has painted a mural, commissioned by the Friends of the Peace Garden and paid for by a state grant administered by GO Art!, on a concrete water tank next to the creek.

The mural features the butterfly bench that once graced the garden and an overflow of water simulating a breach in the side of the tank.

Sherwin Williams donated the paint.  The city approved the project.

"Without our community, as usual, we wouldn't have this here today," said Barb Toal, who came to Cryer with the idea of paint a mural on the tank. Then they came up with the concept together.

"I wanted to bring more nature in, to cover up a cement eyesore with some nature," Cryer said. 

The Holland Land Office Museum announces that the People's Choice Award for the 19th Annual Wonderland of Trees goes to Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden (right photo).

For the Museum Choice Award, the honor goes to Genesee Symphony Orchestra (bottom photo).

The Holland Land Office Museum congratulates the winners and thanks all participants, who went above and beyond this year with such beautiful trees and pictures, as well as sponsors and donors:

• Tompkins Bank of Castile
• Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel
• Genesee County Sheriff's Association
• Stafford Historical Society
• The YNGODESS Shop
• Arc of Genesee Orleans
• Batavia Business & Professional Women's Club Inc.
• City of Batavia Historic Preservation Commission
• Crossroads House
• Friends of Batavia Peace Garden
• GCASA Recovery Station
• Genesee Community College Alpha Epsilon Gamma
• Genesee Community College Education Club
• Genesee Symphony Orchestra
• Genesee County Fish & Game Protective Association
• Holland Land Office Wonderland of Trees Committee
• Raising Believers Home School Group
• Speak Up Toastmasters
• St. Joseph Church
• Town of Bergen Historian's Office/Harford Livery Museum/Bergen Historical Society
• Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee
• Alabama Hotel
• Batavia Lions Club
• Jan's Smoke Shop
• M&M Meats
• Philly's Barbershop
• Tonawanda Seneca Family Care Center
• Eucharettes
• Debra Osborn
• Dick Siebert
• Holland Purchase Historical Society Members

File photos by Howard Owens from the May 6, 2012 dedication of the Batavia Peace Garden.

Information from Barbara Ann Toal.

The untold story of the "History of the Batavia Peace Garden" and its colorful high-flying flags is now a book, written by Barbara Ann Toal, who cofounded the garden along with Paula Savage.

Toal, vice president of the Batavia Peace Garden Committee, was inspired to tell the compelling story of how this beautiful garden came to be part of Batavia’s history when plans for the 10^th anniversary of its ground-breaking ceremony began to take shape earlier this year.

“I wanted people to hear the real story," Toal said. "It’s a fascinating one and our community deserves to know just how much we are connected to the world around us. We are the world headquarters for the International Peace Garden Foundation. That blows me away!

"Furthermore, all profits from the sale of this book will go toward the care and maintenance of the Batavia Peace Garden.”

Upon its completion, the official dedication ceremony took place on May 6, 2012, and scores of visitors from across nation, Canada and beyond attended the honors. 

It was the first Peace Garden on the New York State Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail. It completed the last link in the chain of Peace Gardens that commemorate the accord between the United States of America and Canada since the War of 1812 ended. 

Toal's book details the links to the International Peace Gardens worldwide and describes the selfless dedication of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality, and their vision for its future development and expansion.

She says curiosity seekers will be delighted to read the backstory of the international flags along Main Street, adjacent to the Holland Land Office Museum, that greet hundreds of local residents and visitors daily.

It's an interesting story, one that you will want to share with your friends and loved ones.

This book would be a nice addition for your home library, or a thoughtful gift for family and friends -- anyone who has a place in their heart for this small rural Western New York community that built an internationally recognized tribute to world peace.

Copies priced at $20 can be purchased exclusively at Oliver’s Candies, 211 W. Main St., Batavia, and the Sweet Life Country Store, 100 S. Main St., Elba, or online here, or by calling (585) 770-3046 or 343-2387.

Submitted photos and press release:

It may be a bit early to tiptoe through the tulips but visitors to the Batavia Peace Garden will be delighted to find rows of hyacinth and daffodils in full bloom there. 

As Genesee County residents are sequestered indoors for days on end due to the coronvirus pandemic, it is refreshing to know that passersby can enjoy a burst of color at the Batavia Peace Garden.

With the help of dozens of volunteers, the bulbs were planted last fall. The majority of plants were provided complements of Delre's Greenhouse & Garden Center in Batavia, according to Batavia Peace Garden Director Barb Toal.

"It's nice to know that so many people can enjoy the serenity and beauty of this garden during a time when the whole world is on edge," Toal said. "That’s precisely what the Peace Garden was created for.

"Whether you pass by in your car or take a stroll through the garden with your family, you can’t help but feel good about the colorful blooms and the sweet scent of the hyacinths. But if you do decide to take a walk be sure to practice distance guidelines. At the Peace Garden, all are welcome.”  

The Peace Garden enjoys a variety of blooms annually spring through fall. The season for tulips approaches in mid-May. That is followed by Black-eyed Susan’s, yellow roses, daises, hydrangea and much more.

Volunteers are always needed to help with more planting and garden maintenance.

For information on how you can participate, visit the Batavia Peace Garden online here or contact the International Peace Garden Foundation here.

Submitted photo and press release:

Cedar Street Rentals in Batavia has donated two Cub Cadet benches to the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden.

They are being placed in front of the shed on the west side of the County Building and Grounds Facility, along the path to the Memory Walk for a resting point for walkers who care to take a seat and enjoy.

They are a beautiful addition to the efforts of beautifying Downtown Batavia.

We members would like to take this opportunity to thank our community for all of its support in helping our flags flying and our flowers blooming!

In the photo above: committee members standing along the left bench are Louise Wallace, Berneda Scoins, Carol Grasso, and Donald Wallace; seated are Carolyn Epps with our youngest member Caleb Johnson. Standing in the middle are Ellen Bachorski, owner of Cedar Street Rentals Guy Clark and Barb Toal.

Submitted photo and press release:

On Saturday, July 20^th, Valu Home Center will host a Community Day at the Valu Plaza location, 4152 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden will be on hand to sell hot dogs from noon to 4 p.m.

Representatives from EMS Mercy Ambulance will be present along with members of the Batavia City Fire Department. The Fire Department will be on hand to provide child car seat checks and to correctly install your car seats.

“This is our opportunity to give back to the community," said store Manager Paul MacEwan. "This will become an annual event and hopefully will grow larger in years to come.” 

We look forward to having the community join in and meet our staff.

Carol Grasso told WBTA this morning that Michael Tomaszewski, owner of Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel, has offered to replace the urns.

Another anonymous donor has offered to help pay for security cameras and improved lighting.

"Michael Tomaszewski, he's such a great guy; he goes so much for our community," Grasso said. "He called Paula (Savage) up and he said, 'I'm going to replace those for you.' We were just the ecstatic. He was kind enough to do this for us. He's just always been such a good supporter of the Peace Garden."

As for security, the Peace Garden board had already decided to purchase a video camera and lighting but still needed to raise more money for it. The anonymous donation helps.

"It's not cheap, you know, and then you have to have them installed," Grasso said. "We don't have any money coming into the Peace Garden. Everything we do is through donations and fundraisers. We're very fortunate to have a community that is supportive of us."

Grasso thinks it took more than one person to steal the urns.

"They were two huge, large -- they probably come up to your waist, that's how big they are," Grasso said. "They are heavy and solid granite. They're just beautiful, black. They are just gorgeous ... whoever took them, it had to be a couple of people because you can't just move them."

WBTA is news partners with The Batavian.

Paula Savage looks forward to her regular visits to Batavia’s Peace Garden, a concept she founded in 2012 for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

Her visit on Monday morning, however, was met with shock, when she discovered someone had stolen two large urns and a ceramic snail lawn ornament from the Garden on Main Street.

“I come about every other day to water the urns and pull weeds,” Savage said Tuesday morning, as she waited for police to arrive. “This is terrible. I know people in our community respect this garden.”

The large footed urns were purchased by Savage and placed on either side of a marble bench near the flags.

She was alerted to the theft by a man who said he frequently walks his dog in the area. He noticed loose dirt on the footbridge over Tonawanda Creek, which leads Savage to believe the thieves came from the other side of the creek.

“Possibly the urns got too heavy and they dumped some of the dirt out on the bridge,” she said. “There had to have been a group of people to carry those two big urns and the ceramic lawn ornament.”

Savage said this garden is revered by the community and is promoted by New York state. It was the first Peace Garden on the New York State Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail.

“There is such an emphasis on keeping this garden beautiful, and a lot of effort goes into maintaining it,” Savage said. “I came to water the urns because I wanted the garden to look pristine for the Fourth of July.”

Batavia Patrolman C.J. Lindsay said they will be checking security cameras at businesses across the street.

Savage said the Peace Garden Committee will be investigating the possibility of security cameras and/or motion lights in the area.

“We don’t want this to happen again,” she said.

The urns stolen were dark colored and made of a resin, and the lawn ornament was a ceramic snail. Savage said if anyone sees anything resembling them, they should contact the Batavia Police Department.

Top photo: Paula Savage, founder of the International Peace Garden, shows Batavia Police Officer C.J. Lindsay where someone stole two large urns from the Peace Garden on Main Street during the weekend.

Paula Savage holds a handful of flowers which were pulled from two large urns before vandals stole them out of Batavia’s Peace Garden, presumably during Sunday night. Photos by Virginia Kropf.