Roanoke Island Garden Club Records, ORG.5294
Abstract
The Roanoke Island Garden Club was first organized in 1950 as a regional division
of the Garden Club of North Carolina, the state chapter of the National Garden Clubs
organization. The club is dedicated to studying best practices in regard to gardening
and general environmental care, encouraging environmental development and conservation
throughout the Outer Banks community, and educating members of this community in those
same methods of gardening and environmental engagement. This collection contains meeting
minutes, agendas, correspondence, financial records, reports, articles, informational
booklets, newspaper clippings, awards and certificates, handbooks, schedules, notebooks,
inventories, public relations and visitor materials, and photographs.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Roanoke Island Garden Club Records
- Call Number
- ORG.5294
- Creator
-
Roanoke Island Garden Club
- Date
- 1950-2021 and undated
- Extent
- 6.700 cubic feet, 16 Box
- Language
-
English
- Repository
-
Outer Banks History Center
Restrictions on Access & Use
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as
stipulated by the United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers
are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well
as any donor restrictions accompanying these materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], ORG.5294, Roanoke Island Garden Club Records, Outer Banks
History Center, Manteo, NC, U.S.A.
Collection Overview
The Roanoke Island Garden Club Records, 1950-2021 and undated, contains meeting minutes,
agendas, correspondence, financial records, reports, articles, informational booklets,
newspaper clippings, awards and certificates, handbooks, schedules, notebooks, inventories,
public relations and visitor materials, and photographs. Materials are arranged into
five series: Organizational Records, 1950-2017 and undated; Events and Projects, 1964-2015
and undated; Flowers and Garden Care, 1964-2011 and undated; Club Publications, 1961-2007
and undated; and Addition of 2021, 2011-2019.
Arrangement Note
Materials are arranged alphabetically within series.
Biographical/Historical
The Roanoke Island Garden Club was first organized in 1950, with its inaugural meeting
being held on February 2nd of that year. There were thirty-six charter members. The
club is a regional division of the Garden Club of North Carolina, which is itself
a state chapter of the National Garden Clubs organization. Like its sister organizations
throughout the United States, the Roanoke Island Garden Club dedicated itself to studying
best practices in regard to gardening and general environmental care, encouraging
environmental development and conservation throughout the Outer Banks community, and
educating members of this community in those same methods of gardening and environmental
engagement.
As a result, the club has organized a number of gardening-based projects throughout
the Outer Banks, including general community beautification, an annual litter clean-up
project, Blue Star Memorial Highway, the Garden of the Month recognition awards, the
Dare Diggers program for local students, a wide range of house and garden tours, and
planting and landscaping for community buildings, such as Manteo Elementary School.
The club has also hosted several related events including annual luncheons and a wide
range of flower shows and benefits.
But the Roanoke Island Garden Club's most prominent and longest lasting project is
its work with the Elizabethan Gardens. The Elizabethan Gardens is the oldest of three
public gardens managed by the Garden Club of North Carolina, with planning beginning
in 1951, construction beginning in 1953 to coincide with the crowning of Queen Elizabeth
II of England, and construction completing in 1960. Members of the Roanoke Island
Garden Club headed every step of the process. For their efforts, the National Council
of State Garden Clubs awarded the Elizabethan Gardens the Bronze Medal for the most
outstanding project in the nation in 1961. The Roanoke Island Garden Club continued
to be involved in the garden's operations in the years that followed, officially hosting
every major function connected to the Elizabethan Gardens, including the 1984 visit
of Princess Anne of Great Britain to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the English
colonization of America.
Contents of the Collection
1. Organizational Records, 1950-2017 and undated
Scope and Content:
The Organizational Records series contains materials related to the internal organization
and administration of the Roanoke Island Garden Club as well as that of its state
and nation-wide affiliates. Materials include meeting minutes, agendas, and related
records; treasurers' reports and related financial records; surveys; club awards and
certificates; club reports, handbooks, protocol, and by-laws; membership records;
yearly schedules and descriptions; and both internal correspondence with members and
external correspondence between the club and other organizations or community members.
Materials date from 1950 to 2017.
Annual Meeting Pamphlets and Schedules, 1982-2012
Box 1
Awards and Certificates, 1973-2017
Box 1
Awards and Certificates (Oversize), 2000
Oversize Box 1
"Blessing of the Garden" by Inglis Fletcher, 1955
Box 1
Budget Proposal, 2011-2015
Box 1
Club Balance and Expenditures, 2007-2013
Box 1
Club Committees, 1995-2015
Box 1
Club History and Description Drafts, 1962-1999
Box 1
District 12 President's Handbook, 2011-2015
Box 1
Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. Handbook, 1991-1995
Box 1
General Correspondence, 1963-2012 and undated
Box 1
Meeting Agendas, 1991-2003
Box 1
Meeting Planning, 2013-2016
Box 1
Meeting Registration, 1996-2013
Box 1
Member Correspondence, circa 1985-2015
Box 1
Member Lists, 1950-2016 and undated
Box 1
Minutes, 1950-2012 and undated
Box 1
Minutes of Meeting Binder 1 [2 Folders], 2001-2009
Box 2
Minutes of Meeting Binder 2, 2009-2015
Box 2
National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc. Catalog, 1996
Box 2
National Council of State Garden Clubs Organizational Chart, undated
Box 2
New Member Documents, 2002-2015 and undated
Box 2
Notes, 1995-1996 and undated
Box 2
President's Book: Donna Presgrave Binder [2 Folders], 2013-2015
Box 2
President's Book: Joan Brumbach Binder [3 folders], 2011-2013
Box 3
Protocol and By-Laws, 1997-2010 and undated
Box 3
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records Binder 1 [3 Folders], 1999-2005
Box 3
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records Binder 2 [2 Folders], 2001-2009
Box 4
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records Binder 3 [2 Folders], 2008-2009
Box 4
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records Binder 3; Club Pictures CD, 2007-2008
Box 4
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records Binder 4 [3 Folders], 2005-2011
Box 5
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records Binder 5, 2013
Box 5
Roanoke Island Garden Club Records CD, 2007-2008
Box 5
Schedules of Programs, 1984-1997
Box 5
Scholarship Materials, 1991-1996
Box 5
Suggestions for Programs, circa 1990s
Box 5
Treasurer's Reports, 1995-2011
Box 5
Virginia Dare Council of Garden Clubs Minutes, 1982-1993
Box 5
Vouchers for Disbursement [3 Folders], 1999-2014
Box 6
Yearly Synopses, 2011-2012
Box 6
2. Events and Projects, 1964-2015 and undated
Scope and Content:
The club has been responsible for organizing a number of events and projects within
the Outer Banks community. Events planned and hosted by the club have included celebrations
of holidays and club landmarks, fundraisers, and environmental awareness events, as
well as tours and other forms of entertainment. The Roanoke Island Garden Club has
also organized several club-based and community-wide projects. These projects have
most prominently focused on the Elizabethan Gardens and on drawing attention to local
gardeners through ventures such as the Garden of the Month awards and House and Garden
tours and showcases. The Events and Projects series contains materials documenting
the planning of these various events and projects, as well as materials accumulated
during the programs themselves, including flyers and related public relations records,
newspaper clippings, visitor materials, menus, and photographs. Materials date from
1964 to 2015.
Adopt-a-Wreath Contest, 2011
Box 6
Adopt-a-Wreath Contest; Photographs, circa 2010s
Box 6
Album of Club Events Photographed by Patt Dani [2 Folders], 2001
Box 6
Anniversary Celebrations, 1971-2000
Box 7
Anniversary Celebrations; Photographs and Negatives, 2000-2007 and undated
Box 7
Annual Spring Plant and Yard Sale, 2013
Box 7
Annual Spring Plant and Yard Sale; Photographs, 2005
Box 7
Benefit Shows, 1983 and undated
Box 7
British Cemetery Memorial Service, Ocracoke Island, N. C. [CD], 2013
Box 7
Blue Star Memorial Highway, 1976
Box 7
Christmas House Tours, 1975-1981
Box 7
Christmas Luncheon, undated
Box 7
Club Excursions, 1997-2012
Box 7
Club Excursions; Botanical Gardens [CD], 2007
Box 7
Community Planting Project; Photographs, 2002 and undated
Box 7
Dare Diggers; Photographs, circa 2006
Box 7
Dare Voluntary Action Center, 1996-2002
Box 7
December Meeting Photo Album, 1999
Box 7
Decorating Downtown Manteo, circa early 2000s
Box 7
Dinner Billing Cards, undated
Box 7
Edna Bell 100th Birthday Celebration; Photographs, 1999
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; A. Louis Midgette, Sr. Tribute, 2003
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Avenue of Maples Dedication, 1980
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Elizabeth I Portrait Research, 2008
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Elizabethan Gardens Pilgrimage, 1999-2000
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; "An English-American Tryst for Garden Lovers", 1993
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy Program, 1989
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Fiftieth Anniversary, 2001
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Grand Illumination, 2011
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Photographs, circa 1980s
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Twenty-Fifth Anniversary, 1976
Box 7
Elizabethan Gardens; Visitor and Tour Materials, 1997-2006
Box 7
Flower Shows; Photographs, 1986
Box 7
Garden Party by the Sea, 2013
Box 7
Garden of the Seasons, 2011-2013
Box 7
Gardens of the Month; Lists of Winners, 1986-1996
Box 7
Gardens of the Month; Photographs and Negatives [3 Folders], 1986-1997
Box 8
"Hats Off to the Garden Club"; Photographs, 2009
Box 8
Holiday Celebrations; Photographs, 2006 and undated
Box 8
House and Garden Tours; Funding, 2003-2006
Box 8
House and Garden Tours; Photographs, circa early 2000s-2007
Box 8
House and Garden Tours; Planning, 2001-2003
Box 8
House and Garden Tours; Public Relations Materials, 2003-2006
Box 8
House and Garden Tours; Visitor Packet, 2007
Box 9
Manteo Elementary School; Class Thank-You Note, 1982
Oversize Box 1
Manteo Elementary School; Landscaping Project, 1972-1982
Box 9
Manteo Elementary School; Ocracoke Island Field Trip, 1983
Box 9
Menus and Recipes, 2011 and undated
Box 9
National Wildlife Refuge; Photographs, circa 1986
Box 9
Newspaper Clippings [2 Folders], 1969-2015 and undated
Box 9
Newspaper Clippings (Oversize), 2005 and undated
Oversize Box 1
North Carolina Department of Transportation Litter Clean-Up Project, 1996
Box 9
North Carolina Engagement Calendars, 1964-1967
Box 9
Patriots' Tree Planting Ceremony, 2007
Box 9
Patriots' Tree Planting Ceremony; Photographs, 2007
Box 10
Recycling and Environmental Projects, circa early 2000s
Box 10
Roanoke Island Home and Garden Club Poster [Floppy Disk], undated
Box 10
Roanoke Island Home and Garden Showcase, circa early 2000s
Box 10
Sale and Tour Event Posters, 2007 and undated
Oversize Box 1
Special Meetings; Photographs, circa early 2000s
Box 10
Spring Garden Party, 2001 and undated
Box 10
3. Flowers and Garden Care, 1964-2011 and undated
Scope and Content:
Members of the Roanoke Island Garden Club conducted a great deal of research regarding
how best to care for their own plants and gardens, as well those of their overall
community. The Flowers and Garden Care series contains educational materials collected
by club members, including articles, booklets, notebooks, and journals. This series
also contains inventories of flowers from various gardens and sales. Materials date
from 1964 to 2011.
Backyard Rain Gardens, circa early 2000s
Box 10
"Camellias at the Birthplace of U.S.A." by Buxton White, 1964
Box 10
Cape Hatteras Garden Club Plant Sale Inventory, 1977
Box 10
Container Gardens, circa early 2000s
Box 10
Excerpt from the Rose Journal of Kate McCabe Sheldon, undated
Box 10
Flower Arrangement, circa mid-1900s
Box 10
Flower Cutting, circa mid-1900s
Box 10
Flower List from the Replanting of the Queen's Rose Garden, 2000
Box 10
Flower Power Fundraising Publication, 2011
Box 10
Gardening for Wildlife Guide, 2002
Box 10
The Herb Society of America: Tidewater Unit Pamphlet, 2002
Box 10
Herbal Recipes, 2002-2010 and undated
Box 10
"Herbs of the Elizabethan Gardens" Booklet, circa 1960s
Box 10
"How to Age a Pot", undated
Box 10
Landscape Planning, undated
Box 10
Methods for Drying Flowers, circa mid-1900s
Box 10
Perennials that Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds, 2003
Box 10
Proposed Plant List: North Carolina Wildflower Meadow, 2001
Box 10
"Success with House Plants Starts with Soil" Booklet, undated
Box 10
United States Botanic Gardens Research, 2003
Box 10
Wild Notebook: Invasive Inhabitants, 2007
Box 10
4. Club Publications, 1961-2007
Scope and Content:
The Roanoke Island Garden Club has published or otherwise produced several materials
documenting the club's ongoing functions and raising member awareness of current and
past club programs. The Club Publications series contains several of these materials
in the form of copies of the Roanoke Island Garden Club Yearbook and editions of the
discontinued Roanoke Island Garden Club Scrapbook. The series also contains publications
produced by affiliates of the club, including the Elizabethan Gardens, the Garden
Club of North Carolina, and the National Garden Clubs organization. Among the major
events documented in these publications was the visit of Princess Anne of Great Britain
to the Elizabethan Gardens in 1984. Materials date from 1961 to 2007.
The Elizabethan Gardener, 2006
Box 10
The National Gardener, 1996
Box 10
The North Carolina Gardener, 2001-2008
Box 10
The North Carolina Gardener Yearbooks [2 folders], 2001-2009
Box 11
Roanoke Island Garden Club Yearbooks [3 folders], 1966-2007
Box 11
Roanoke Island Garden Club Scrapbook, 1962-1963
Oversize Box 2
Scrapbook and Yearbook Planning, 2005 and undated
Box 11
5. Addition of 2021, 2010-2019
Annual Contributions, 2013-2018
Box 12
Educational Trips, 2016-2019
Box 12
Executive Board, 2015-2019
Box 12
Garden of the Season, 2010-2019
Box 12
Home and Garden Tour, 2011-2016
Box 12
Special Events, 2016-2018
Box 13
Club Records and History, 2015-2016
Box 13
Garden Club of North Carolina/District, 2015-2018
Box 13
Garden Club of North Carolina Reports, 2016-2018
Box 13
6. Addition of 2022, 2011-2021
Blue Star Memorial Highway Award, 2011
Box 13
Dare Diggers Sign, circa 2019
Oversize Box 1
Elizabethan Gardens Individual of the Year Award, 2021
Box 13
"Our Footprints Will Tell Our Story" (70th Anniversary Exhibit Materials), 2021
Box 13
Thank You Card from Town of Manteo, 2020
Box 13
Subject Headings
Garden Club of North Carolina
National Council of State Garden Clubs
National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Clubwomen
Flower Shows
Fundraising
Gardening--North Carolina
Gardens--North Carolina
Landscape Gardening--North Carolina
Scholarships--North Carolina
Women--Societies and clubs
Community beautification
Garden tours
Roanoke Island (N.C.)--Social life and customs
Elizabethan Gardens (Roanoke Island, N.C.)
Acquisitions Information
Donated by the Roanoke Island Garden Club, May 2017.
Processing Information
Processed by McKenzie Long, June 2019. Updated by Samantha Crisp, May 2021 and March
2022.