Community Projects
Throughout the history of the Chestnut Hill Garden Club
Members have reached out to the community with a variety of projects. Following World War II the club volunteered at the Chelsea Naval Hospital and in 1949 the club took up the Compost Pile project in collaboration with the Town of Brookline to make and sell compost made from leaves. The club has participated in many of the New England Flower Shows and members have opened their gardens to the public to raise funds to support current and upcoming projects.
The Corliss Knapp Engle Scholarship in Horticulture
In cooperation with the Garden Club of America, a Scholarship was established in 2010 to pay tribute to Corliss Knapp Engle, who was a member of the Chestnut Hill Garden Club for thirty years. She was a valuable and influential presence in the GCA and in many other organizations in the field of horticulture. As a tireless mentor to many, this scholarship will provide a means by which her dedication to education will continue.
Scholarship Committee, Garden Club of America, 14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022-1006, Phone: (212) 753-8287, Email: scholarship@gcamerica.org.
-
Hammond Pond
Hammond Pond, a kettle pond, occupies 22 acres in Chestnut Hill and is the only surviving “Great Pond” east of the Berkshires. In the 1950’s, the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center was built on its southern border. Progress and asphalt began to take its toll.
-
Houghton Garden
In 1997 the Chestnut Hill Garden Club produced the Houghton Pond booklet to document this historic garden. From 1906 through 1940 Mr. and Mrs. Clement Houghton created a garden adjacent to their home at 152 Suffolk Road in Chestnut Hill.
-
Chestnut Trails
Chestnut Trails is the result of a project conceived by the Conservation Committee of the Chestnut Hill Garden Club in 2001 to bring attention to the wonderful nature trails in our area. 2000 booklets were printed, of which 1700 sold.
-
Post Office and "T" Stop
The first Post Office was established in 1870. At that time 12 families received mail. In 1896 the number of families had grown to 1500 and the Post Office had outgrown its space. Rather than disbanding the Post Office, five residents donated the money for a new building.
-
Route 9 Traffic Island Planting
For the Chestnut Hill Garden Club’s 75th anniversary in 1990, the Club presented the Town of Brookline and the City of Newton with a group of trees, shrubs, grasses, and roses. The garden was planted along a formerly dreary stretch of highway in front of a local shopping center.
Annual Contributions
Each year, the Board votes to contribute to local organizations that promote the club's objectives. The organizations that have been supported in recent years are displayed below