The Kampong

The Kampong: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Kampong was the home and garden of David G. Fairchild (1869-1959), U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher and plant explorer. Fairchild was responsible for importing thousands of tropical plants to the U.S. for propagation as Director of the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction and brought Japanese cherry trees to Washington DC. In addition to developing an experimental government facility in Miami’s Coral Gables (now the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden), he built a home, The Kampong, inspired by Indonesian design and created a personal garden in the Coconut Grove area of Miami. The Sweeneys visited once. After Fairchild’s death, his wife Marion Bell Fairchild (daughter of Alexander Graham Bell) maintained the property. Upon her death in 1962, her children, unable to assume the responsibility, put the property on the market. Unfortunately, only developers were interested.
Daughter-in-law Elva Fairchild knowing of Sweeney’s philanthropy and interest in gardening, brought the property to her attention. Sweeney purchased the compound without hesitation in 1963 and devoted herself to retaining and enhancing Fairchild’s vision, working hard to preserve its integrity as a tropical retreat. Eventually, it became part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Saving The Kampong is Sweeney’s most notably recognized achievement.