The MV Garden Club's Centennial Year
The Martha's Vineyard Garden Club helped save historic Christiantown site!
The Christiantown Indian burial ground in West Tisbury is one of the oldest historic sites on the island. In 1659 a one mile square of land was “given” to the praying Indians. Under the efforts of Thomas Mayhew, Jr., a small chapel was erected. No one knows how old the burial ground there really is, for Indians occupied this territory long before the white man came, and may have buried their dead there for hundreds of generations before. But the graves marked with the small, rounded stones are easily identifiable as those of the Praying Indians.
In 1941 The Dukes County commission ordered the complete restoration of the decaying chape', the road leading to it to be put into usable condition, and the burial ground sufficiently cleared so that the graves become accessible and to continuing proper care. At that time, the Garden Club offered the commissioners its services in cleaning up and beautifying the area.
In 1946, the Garden Club's efforts increased to include the protection of the site from a proposed fire watch tower, which would have to run a power line directly through the burial ground. Thankfully they were successful and the fire tower was relocated.
In 1947 our club began its planting around the area of wildflowers and shrubs indigenous to the Vineyard: mayapple, violets, Solomon's Seal, loosestrife, and swamp azalea to name a few. A standing committee existed for decades thereafter to continue the maintenance of this exceptional and treasured piece of Martha's Vineyard history. Our stewardship ended in 1993. - From Ty Johnston
The Christiantown Indian burial ground in West Tisbury is one of the oldest historic sites on the island. In 1659 a one mile square of land was “given” to the praying Indians. Under the efforts of Thomas Mayhew, Jr., a small chapel was erected. No one knows how old the burial ground there really is, for Indians occupied this territory long before the white man came, and may have buried their dead there for hundreds of generations before. But the graves marked with the small, rounded stones are easily identifiable as those of the Praying Indians.
In 1941 The Dukes County commission ordered the complete restoration of the decaying chape', the road leading to it to be put into usable condition, and the burial ground sufficiently cleared so that the graves become accessible and to continuing proper care. At that time, the Garden Club offered the commissioners its services in cleaning up and beautifying the area.
In 1946, the Garden Club's efforts increased to include the protection of the site from a proposed fire watch tower, which would have to run a power line directly through the burial ground. Thankfully they were successful and the fire tower was relocated.
In 1947 our club began its planting around the area of wildflowers and shrubs indigenous to the Vineyard: mayapple, violets, Solomon's Seal, loosestrife, and swamp azalea to name a few. A standing committee existed for decades thereafter to continue the maintenance of this exceptional and treasured piece of Martha's Vineyard history. Our stewardship ended in 1993. - From Ty Johnston
The MV Garden Club's Seale -
Our seale is the ancient official seal of the county of Dukes County, adopted a few years after the settlement of Martha’s Vineyard. Edgartown records of 1655 state, “the common seale of this place shall be a bunch of grapes.”
The earliest representation of the seal is found in early manuscript papers kept by the Congressional Library. Certain of these papers have been designated as “Athern Mss.” Because they are original drafts of legal documents prepared by Kames and Jabez Athern in their official capacities as Justices of the Peace and Clerk of the Courts on Martha’s Vineyard. The representation of the seal in the Athern manuscripts of 1722 looks exactly like our logo! We are very fortunate to have a seal with such a ling Island history. It could have gone to many other groups but it is
our good fortune to have secured it for ourselves.
Our seale is the ancient official seal of the county of Dukes County, adopted a few years after the settlement of Martha’s Vineyard. Edgartown records of 1655 state, “the common seale of this place shall be a bunch of grapes.”
The earliest representation of the seal is found in early manuscript papers kept by the Congressional Library. Certain of these papers have been designated as “Athern Mss.” Because they are original drafts of legal documents prepared by Kames and Jabez Athern in their official capacities as Justices of the Peace and Clerk of the Courts on Martha’s Vineyard. The representation of the seal in the Athern manuscripts of 1722 looks exactly like our logo! We are very fortunate to have a seal with such a ling Island history. It could have gone to many other groups but it is
our good fortune to have secured it for ourselves.