B V G C H I S T O R Y
O R I G I N S
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In the 1930's, Boxford was a hub of horticultural activity. Harlan P. Kelsey, Sr. was the leading presence in Essex County (and beyond) with the Kelsey-Highlands Nursery. He, along with his sons and their wives, lived on a 500 acre estate in East Boxford (where the Kelsey Arboretum is located today). They formed a unit called "H.P. Kelsey, Inc." This closeknit group was on the cutting edge of horticulture, and their influence expanded throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
Harlan Jr.'s wife, Ruth, worked with her mother-in-law, Florence, and helped the nursery expand into all types of native flowers. She discovered a deep love of gardening while being exposed to the many species in the vast Kelsey greenhouses. Boxford was ripe for the formation of a garden club. It is no surprise that when Ruth invited eight of her friends to tea on October 17, 1938 "to discuss the feasibility of forming a garden club" they voted her President of their new group that day.
The Boxford Village Garden Club was formed with nine founding members listed in the meeting minutes:
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Mrs. Harlan Kelsey Jr. (Ruth, future GCFM Treasurer)
Mrs. Paul F. Wadleigh (Marpel, future GCFM Treasurer)
Mrs. Ralph B. Case (Esther, 5th BVGC President)
Mrs. Franklin C. Roberts., Sr. (Beatrice)
Mrs. Benjamin W. Currier, Jr. (Dorothea, 2nd BVGC President)
Mrs. William P. Walsh (Ella, 3rd BVGC President )
Mrs. John L. Adams (Dorothy, 4th BVGC President)
Mrs. E. Robert Little (Elizabeth)
Mrs. Dantan Sawyer (Margaret)
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Dues were $1.oo/yr. The following March, membership had increased to 28 members. In September, President Kelsey recommended that the club become a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, which at the time was an annual fee of $10.oo. The recommendation was accepted.
A Kelsey advertisement from 1930
BVGC members held positions in the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts during the earliest days of the club. Ruth was appointed Treasurer of GCFM for the 1941-1943 season. Directly after her term, Marpel Wadleigh was appointed GCFM Treasurer for two consecutive terms, from 1944-1948.
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Members of the Boxford Village Garden Club kept up a consistent presence at GCFM meetings, traveling to Horticultural Hall in Boston on a regular basis. The new club was flourishing, but it wasn't long before World War II came to the home front - then everyday living changed.
During WWII club members donated their time and effort to hospitals and other charities to help ailing soldiers (most notably the Chelsea Naval Hospital) while still entering flower shows, decorating the Boxford Library and Holyoke French House, and holding their holiday tradition of a Christmas Doorway Contest. Almost every member of the BVGC had a Victory Garden, and at least made an attempt to can the food grown in her garden. ​The ladies of the BVGC persevered throughout the 1940's, and dedicated themselves to helping those around them. It was a relief when the war was finally over in 1945, and regular club activities could resume.
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To see a gallery of our presidents and some of their family members, visit our PRESIDENTS page.
