Sunnyslope Rock Garden

In 1952, a retired heavy machinery operator named Grover Cleveland Thompson relocated to a house in Sunnyslope and founded a village of eccentric folk art. Inspired by the Peterson Rock Garden in his hometown of Oregon, Thompson used a diverse array of materials such as Fiestaware, broken pottery, rocks, bottles, glass shards, clay, and concrete, to construct sculptures. Over the course of 22 years, he created a collection that included seven fountains, seven windmills, a replica of the Seattle Space Needle, and miniature Incan villages. To mold the faces of his figures, Thompson poured concrete into Halloween masks from the 1950s. In 1974, Thompson's health began to decline and the expansion of the Sunnyslope Rock Garden came to a halt. He passed away in 1978 and the property was purchased by Marion Blake the following year. Blake has since maintained the sculptures which continue to fascinate and delight passersby.