The Wooden Garden of Romano Gabriel

Romano Gabriel was born in Mura, Italy, in about 1887 and worked with his father as an apprentice furniture maker. He set off for America in 1913. After his arrival in the United States, Romano served in World War I and then settled in Eureka, California, where he worked as a carpenter and gardener. During his later years, Romano worked continuously from 1940 to early 1970, cultivating a wooden garden of unique sculptural forms that obscured his house. He was a mystery, communicating with the world by using his woodworking talents. Romano Gabriel died on March 17, 1977. The day he died, notification arrived from the California Arts Council that the wooden sculpture garden had been designated as an important piece of folk art. The Romano Gabriel Wooden Sculpture Garden is permanently housed on Second Street in the historic old town of Eureka, California.