The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club’s Edgartown Garden Stroll is a fundraiser primarily in support of planned improvements to the Old Mill.
Set for August 10, the event features five private gardens and one public botanic garden, all located within the Edgartown historic district. The gardens will be open for touring from 10 am to 3 pm, and attendees are able to stroll the town and the gardens at their own pace. Homeowners and docents will be on hand to guide visitors and answer garden-related questions. Each of the gardens belongs to members of the M.V. Garden Club, and reflects the historic nature of the home.
While you might have driven past the historic Old Mill across from the Mill Pond in West Tisbury, few know that it is the only building in West Tisbury on the National Register of Historic Places, and is owned by the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club. The building was constructed in 1848 to produce satinet fabric with the wool from the nearby sheep farm, but as early as 1650, the site housed a grist mill. The fabric was used by sailors, but as whaling declined, so did the building. In 1942 the Garden Club was able to purchase the mill, preventing its demolition.
The Club has restored and protected the Old Mill, and uses it for summer meetings, socials for members, the Club’s spring plant sale, and the Blooming Art fundraiser hosted in June.
In 2022 the Club received a $20,000 grant from the West Tisbury Community Preservation Committee for a building assessment. Sullivan + Associates Architects and Sourati Engineering delivered a detailed roadmap of potential improvements that addressed structural repairs, accessibility, and various amenities. The board hopes to focus first on the interior stairs and related structural repairs.
Susan Hobart, M.V. Garden Club president, says, “The Club is very proud to have restored and maintained the Old Mill. We want to continue to protect and improve this historic building, and are very grateful to have expert recommendations on what can be addressed. Now we are seeking the resources to put the plan to action. The Club spends more than $12,000 a year simply to maintain the building. That is a substantial responsibility for a volunteer organization with a mission of natural conservation and horticulture, but it has been part of our legacy, and we are committed to caring for it to the best of our abilities.”
This event runs from 10 am to 3 pm, Thursday, August 10. On the day of the stroll, admission to the gardens may be purchased beginning at 9:30 am at the Gate House of the Cooke House and Legacy Garden, 51 School St., Edgartown.