By VICKI URBANIK

When the latest acquisition of the Porter County Parks Department opens to the public, park visitors will be in for a treat.

The Brincka-Cross Gardens is a bounty of decorative gardens, connected by walkways that take visitors effortlessly from one part of the grounds to the next. A winding grass path weaves through a stretch of rhododendron leading to a quiet enclave, where a bench is nicely positioned across from a magnolia tree thought to be highly unusual for this region. Nearby is the “tickle garden,” with its maze through tall native grasses. A brick walkway circles around the house and past the likes of a tri-colored beech tree, peonies, and West Coast-native redwoods. And, with fencing to protect it from grazing deer, the meticulously laid out hosta garden is nestled near a screened tea room where the floor can be raised to accommodate those inside drinking their tea.

The Porter County Parks Department recently acquired the 26-acre property located on East Furness Road, just south of U.S. 20 in Pine Township. Park Superinten-dent Ed Melendez recently gave members of the media a sneak peak of what’s to come when the site opens as a county park, possibly later this summer.

The property was previously owned by the late William Brincka, who worked as a buyer for the Chicago Arts Society and who taught design at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Basil Cross, who was an antique buyer for Marshall Field & Co. and also headed the store’s interior design gallery.

One of Cross’ last requests was to open the property for the public’s enjoyment, Melendez said. With federal or state agencies either not having the desire or the resources for the property, the county parks stepped up. The county’s interest in the land first became known last October, when the park board authorized its attorney to seek appraisals; the sale was closed late last month when the county parks purchased the land for about $500,000.

The House

While the grounds may be the main attraction, the house itself is a joy to experience.

Brincka and Cross designed the house themselves, and construction began in 1969. A Frank Lloyd Wright influence is evident, with large windows in practically every room giving spacious views of the outdoors.

“You look at it and say, ‘they were thinking,’” Melendez said of the views.

But there’s more than the marriage between the house and nature. Much more.

Vaulted wood-planked ceilings, an open staircase with wood slats on both sides, teak floors, recessed and spot lighting, a large built-in bookcase, core walls, pebbled walls, and slate blue tile flooring are among the features in the house. But there are a number of more unconventional touches.

In the main bathroom, for instance, the shower juts out into a semi circle, flanked on each side by wood borders decorated with a carved flower motif. A large window nearby is outfitted with a long bench to view the outdoors.

In one hallway of closets, Cross applied a fern-like design to the metal doors. Above that is a thick band of trim that came from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. “Time and patience is what he had,” Melendez said.

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping site is upstairs in one of the bedrooms. Closet doors line the walls on both sides. Open one closet door, and there is a neatly arranged set of drawers in yellow and tangerine. Open another closet door and find a tiny bathroom -- decorated almost in its entirety in lipstick red, from the puffy leather walls to the toilet cover and louvered windows.

“You sort of wish you could have talked to the guys to find out what they were thinking,” Melendez said.

Melendez said the park department has photos of the house as it was being built. “To us, that’s a treasure,” he said.

Opportunity Abounds

The use of the house has not yet been decided. Because it doesn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it will have limited public use. Melendez adds that he doesn’t want to alter the house that much, so it might be used as living quarters for an on-site park manager.

Melendez says he’s excited about the park possibilities -- and it shows. Melendez has a degree in horticulture and said he left an arboretum to come to work for Porter County. Now, he finds himself overseeing a parcel that clearly holds much potential for tours and study. Purdue and Michigan State, both of which have established horticulture departments, are among the universities that have expressed an interest in professor and student internship study. And representatives from hosta and day lily societies have told Melendez that they can probably arrange for tours to the site on a weekly basis.

All of the plant life has been inventoried and identified. Melendez said he hopes to get ongoing advice from well-chosen experts, including the staff at two nurseries -- one in Chicago and one in Michigan -- where Brincka and Cross made some of their purchases.

Melendez said that in addition to pruning and cleaning up some of the beds, park staff will need to determine a parking area and restrooms. He also has plans to incorporate statues in some of the gardens as Brincka and Cross once had.

Melendez said he thinks the park will open to the public in late summer and definitely in time for the fall colors.

“I’m excited. I think we’ve found a challenge to Sunset Hill Farm,” he said of the largest county park. “We found ourselves a gem.”

Posted 5/25/2007