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Each July, members of NCGC attend a luncheon wearing hats decorated with fresh plant material.
History of the Nelson County Garden Club
The year was 1935. Nelson County was far from and knew little about the New York Stock Market, however, it did not take long for the results of the 1929 crash to trickle down affecting remote areas such as this one at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, Virginia. Salaries, if they existed, were $10.00 per week. A teacher earned $40.00 per month. The only club available to women was sponsored by the VPI Extension Service, which taught women how to manage, cook, can and garden (which was for food only). It was during this time that a group of women decided their mundane existence needed some form of culture. The Garden Club, under the encouragement of Miss Gertrude Ligon, was organized for beauty, for food, for the environment, and to enhance the quality of life in Nelson County.
The club was socially elite. One could only become a member by invitation and then with the sponsorship of three members. The candidate was required to fill out an application which asked nine questions some of which were: would you pledge to attend meetings, serve on committees, work with enthusiasm and cooperation and to select prospective members with these attributes in mind. The sponsor also was required to fill out a questionnaire stating that they knew the applicant had worthy qualifications. A lady belonging to the Garden Club was considered to be on the “top rung of the ladder” in Nelson County’s social circle. When members attended meetings they looked as if they had stepped from the pages of Vogue. Hats, gloves and bags were artistically selected to match each other and the style of the day.
The club had its first meeting May 15, 1935 at the home of Mrs. G. A. Tower of Rockfish and the first president, Miss Gertrude Ligon, presided. There were 63 active members. The organization encompassed four clubs, one for each magisterial district, which had their own meeting dates and locations but all met together monthly.
Mrs. Fred Schilling, one noteworthy member, in 1942, organized Nature Camp. We actively supported the camp with donations toward its award programs and gave assistance with the tuition cost so that selective young people from our community could attend. For ten years, Nature Camp was conducted in a federally owned building at Lake Sherando near Waynesboro. The camp outgrew that location and in 1951 the camp federation decided to raise funds and build their own facilities on Big Mary’s Creek in George Washington National Forest, near Vesuvius, Va. This location was more pleasing; it unfolded nature’s treasurers delightfully. The nature study program was quite comprehensive. Courses were given in ornithology, wild flowers, forestry, astronomy, geology, ferns, and wildlife among others. Conservation was stressed.
In June 1944 under the leadership of our president, Mrs. Fred Schilling, the club purchased the former Lovingston Presbyterian Church. A one room building on Front Street in Lovingston became our garden club’s home. With the advice of an interior decorator many improvements were made and on Memorial Day 1946 the Nelson County War Memorial Garden Center was dedicated there. A modest library soon was established at the center with books that were donated by anyone wishing to honor Nelsonians who had served in World War II. The library was open to the public. Many flower shows, bridge parties and antique sales were held, as well as instructive programs on flower arranging, horticulture and landscaping took place in the building. However, in 1972, realizing the great need for establishing a larger and now formal library for Nelson County the Nelson County Garden Club leased its Garden Center to the county without charge. The Center served as a branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library until May 1988. Now having outgrown this facility, the library moved into its newly built location on Rt. 29. This building is dedicated to the 125 lives lost in the horrific August 1969 hurricane Camille, which flooded and changed Nelson County forever. The building we now use for our meeting is the brainchild of Garden Club members in l944. The ways and means committees found innovative methods to raise money. For many years, a tasty luncheon was held in Lovingston with recipes available for each dish. This occasion was looked forward to by people working in Lovingston and was a source of income and wonderful publicity for the club. A home tour was held at Pharsalia in June 1956. Fifty cents was charged for refreshments and a tour of the mansion. The club also had silver teas, sold cookies, and organized bulb sales along with soliciting cash donations.
Our garden club planted a memorial garden at the new library in honor of our deceased members. A plaque was installed and dedicated in 1989. We have made additional plantings every two years in memory of those past members and the club continues to care for and provide supplies for the maintenance of the garden. It is a joy to see on a warm day those who come to the library and enjoy a book or lunch with their children out in the Memorial Garden. Seating and picnic tables have been installed. Butterflies and birds have taken up residence among the blooms, and the garden compliments the library. This building also now holds the Nelson County Tourism Center and many people from across the country that stop are amazed and appreciative of this restful site.
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