The Amazing Labyrinth of Harmony Hill - Gardenista
There is a surprise waiting for you at the Harmony Hill Retreat Center in East Meredith, New York. Photographs by Jeanne Rostaing for Gardenista. It is the work of two determined women who, ten years ago, fell in love with 70 acres of Catskill land. When Chris Rosenthal, a psychotherapist, and her friend, Jana Batey, decided to team up to buy the property they made a plan to create a retreat center. Jana went to France to study the ancient art of labyrinth making at the Chartres Cathedral near Paris. Although labyrinths have existed in many forms for at least 3000 years, the labyrinth at Harmony Hill is based on the one at Chartres. Their forty-four foot structure took an entire year to build. It contains more than 2,700 hand cut native fieldstones. Chris and Jana trolled their property on a tractor with a bucket on it, gathering stones as they went. They all have special meaning to me.” The bluestone, which was used for the center rosette and the wedges that form the turns in the circuits or paths, came from a local quarry. In the nine years since the labyrinth was finished, it has only required minimal maintenance. Weeds tend to spring up in the gravel and recent winters, with their combination of freezing and thawing, have moved some stones out of place. But the labyrinth is lovely and seems to beckon visitors. Chris says the labyrinth has a different meaning for everyone who walks it.