Highlights from the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club Archives
Explore a glimpse into the history and legacy of the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club. From early events and cherished traditions to the evolution of our gardens and conservation efforts, these archives celebrate the enduring spirit of our Club.
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The Martha's Vineyard Garden Club's Silver Jubilee Celebration in 1949
Courtesy the MV Gazette
The Club's Silver Jubilee Celebration was held at the Old Mill in West Tisbury on Tuesday, August 2 1949, with close to three hundred people in attendance, both inside and outside the Old Mill in West Tisbury. The dedication and vision of the Club as a whole was recapped by those who spoke, and floral designs that were created by Garden Club members seemed to be a highlight of the afternoon. During the 'refreshment hour' a violinist and cellist played, and while reading the recap of the afternoon as written in the MV Gazette, one can easily envision how simply charming this celebration must have been.
The Martha's Vineyard Garden Club's Founder, Mrs. T. M. Randolph Meikleham had a vision for the Club from the very start...she was determined that the MV Garden Club would be 'a constructive civic force and not just an excuse for pink teas and purple feathers. Her determination and tenacity set in place the Island's first conservation organization. To read more about the Club's 'Celebration' in 1949 via the MV Gazette, CLICK HERE.
Courtesy the MV Gazette
The Club's Silver Jubilee Celebration was held at the Old Mill in West Tisbury on Tuesday, August 2 1949, with close to three hundred people in attendance, both inside and outside the Old Mill in West Tisbury. The dedication and vision of the Club as a whole was recapped by those who spoke, and floral designs that were created by Garden Club members seemed to be a highlight of the afternoon. During the 'refreshment hour' a violinist and cellist played, and while reading the recap of the afternoon as written in the MV Gazette, one can easily envision how simply charming this celebration must have been.
The Martha's Vineyard Garden Club's Founder, Mrs. T. M. Randolph Meikleham had a vision for the Club from the very start...she was determined that the MV Garden Club would be 'a constructive civic force and not just an excuse for pink teas and purple feathers. Her determination and tenacity set in place the Island's first conservation organization. To read more about the Club's 'Celebration' in 1949 via the MV Gazette, CLICK HERE.
The First MVGC Meeting held at the Old Mill is heralded in the Gazette's news...from 1938
The Old Mill is Reopened by the MV Garden Club
Martha's Vineyard Garden Club article in the Vineyard Gazette
Published on Friday, July 1, 1938 - 1:59pm
The structure on the Old Mill River, West Tisbury, had its second birthday on Tuesday. And this seems strange, for the building, staunch as the day it was built, and preceded on the site by other buildings devoted to the same purpose it fulfilled so long, has a long and honorable history. And yet Tuesday was actually its second birthday, for how else can one describe the rebirth of the Old Mill, restored to life if not to industry through the efforts of the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club, which in saving the ancient landmark from impending ruin, also provided itself with a home of its own.
Click here to continue reading
Martha's Vineyard Garden Club article in the Vineyard Gazette
Published on Friday, July 1, 1938 - 1:59pm
The structure on the Old Mill River, West Tisbury, had its second birthday on Tuesday. And this seems strange, for the building, staunch as the day it was built, and preceded on the site by other buildings devoted to the same purpose it fulfilled so long, has a long and honorable history. And yet Tuesday was actually its second birthday, for how else can one describe the rebirth of the Old Mill, restored to life if not to industry through the efforts of the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club, which in saving the ancient landmark from impending ruin, also provided itself with a home of its own.
Click here to continue reading
On the 30th Anniversary of the MV Garden Club's ownership of the Old Mill, Eleanor Ransom Mayhew wrote this little 'homage' to both! CLICK HERE to read it via the MV Gazette!
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Below is a current Facebook post that one of our members contributed. It highlights the words of one of the
Garden Club's past speakers.... 
The Old Mill as it looked back in 1925 |
Published by the MV Gazette in August, 2025
A little recap of one of the MV Garden Club Meetings held in 1925...read the full article below. At the invitation of its vice president, Mrs. William M. Butler, the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club met at her summer home, “Mohu”, on August 12th. A very large attendance was most gratifying, as Edward G. Harrington, secretary of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, gave a very interesting lecture on the Arnold Arboretum, illustrated with colored lantern slides, of the more interesting trees, shrubs and flowers in the arboretum, at the same time giving a comprehensive and illuminating idea of the work and its importance in the horticultural world. As several members said afterwards, “We had no idea there was such a wonderful place!” Click here to continue reading. 
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