In a town with as long and storied a history as Morristown, anniversaries come and go on a daily basis. This year saw the centennial celebration of Christmas on the Green which kicked off the holiday season on Dec. 1.
But it it is also a hundred years since the formation of the Garden Club of Morristown, and despite the century under their collective belts, the group is showing no signs of aging.
According to current president Debra Chambliss, 35 women banded together in 1913 and began the Garden Club of Morristown whose mission was “to promote garden culture by the exchange of ideas on all matters pertaining to the garden.”
Since that time, the club has been at the forefront of community
projects in Washington, Trenton and in Morristown. Including:
- Supporting “no billboards on a New Jersey highway built with federal funds” in the 1950’s
- The start of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in 1964
- Beautified with plantings at Washington’s Headquarters in 1926
- Beautified with plantings at Neighborhood House in 1934
- Beautified with plantings at Macculloch Hall’s historic gardens in 1959
Today, the club’s projects include a garden at Mt. Kemble Home, a ‘Kids
for Kids’ garden at Morristown Medical Center, tree planting, along
with more than 2500 daffodils, within Morristown, and continued
commitment to Macculloch Hall’s gardens. Their largest fund raiser is
a yearly plant sale held the second Saturday in May at the New Vernon
firehouse.
For more information on the club, contact Debra Chambliss at djrcnj@aol.com.
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