Award II E
CIVIC DEVELOPMENT & HISTORIC LANDSCAPE
PRESERVATION GRANTS
Purpose: To encourage member garden clubs to pursue community improvement and historic preservation projects by providing seed money grants for new or a new phase of an ongoing, permanent, planting project. Completed projects, plantings at commercial sites, and requests solely for yearly maintenance costs are not eligible. The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts approved setting aside $2000 each year for Civic Development/Historic Preservation grants to state garden clubs for local projects. The Committee can fund up to four applications annually.
In addition, in 2022 a special grant of $1000.00 for a single civic project with emphasis on horticulture is available to our clubs. All civic projects are eligible for the SANDRA M. JOYCE GRANT to honor a former President, Master Judge, National Garden Club Instructor, and horticulturist extraordinaire. We can think
of no better way to honor her memory.
DEADLINE ~ JULY 1st.
Procedures: Submit a copy of the application by mail or electronically (Committee prefers applications electronically submitted)
To: Leslie Frost
31 Lowell St. Andover, MA. 01810
Email: frostandover@verizon.net
Tel: (978) 475-8400
1) Clubs receiving grants are expected to take an active role in completing their projects.
2) Clubs have one year after the official notification of their award at the GCFM Fall Conference to complete their projects and must provide photos of progress made on the project and a one-page report showing expenditures and improvements by October 1st of the following year.
3) Grant money cannot be transferred to another project.
4) Clubs who do not submit this report will be asked to return their grants.
A one year extension may be arranged if the report substantiates its need.
5) Winning clubs are not eligible to apply for a new project until three (3) years after receiving a previous award.
6) A member of the winning club must be present at the Fall Conference to accept the Grant.
Civic Development Grants are made for new or on-going projects that garden clubs will help maintain. A long-term maintenance plan must be included.
Examples of appropriate projects:
• Municipal planting projects, including traffic islands, parks, etc.
• Landscaping at schools, memorial halls, libraries
• Plantings of labeled trails at nature preserves
Historic Landscape Preservation Grants are given for new or on-going projects designed to preserve the past in the context of the present. Grants are awarded for the improvement of sites that are of historic significance to the local community. Preference is given to accurate plans that relate to the history of the property and are practical for current uses of the property. A long-term maintenance plan must be included.
Examples of appropriate projects:
• Restoration of landscaping at a historic building/property in your community
• Projects undertaken with local Historic Preservation groups
• Creation of a garden that is appropriate and authentic to a particular significant historic period of the building on the property and/or an historically recognized style
• A landscape that is 50 years or older & has historical significance
• A landscape project associated with a building/property that is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, Landmarked, or in a local Historic District
For more information
contact: Leslie Frost Tel: 978 475 8400
Email: frostandover@verizon.net
Grant Recipients of the 2022-2023 Grants:
Projects of the 2021 Grants:
Projects of the 2020 Grants:
Due to Covid many garden clubs could not hold their usual fund raisers and asked for financial assistance thru the grant program of the GCFM. We had more applications for grants than ever before, starting from inception of the program in 2002. Thanks to the generosity of the Landscape Design Council, who donated $1000 to the grants, the GCFM was able to give out $3000 this year.
It was a difficult decision, for all applicant’s projects enhanced the environment of their communities.
Norfolk Garden Club (Central South) $750.00
Norfolk Garden Club will create a native, low maintenance garden at the lower level of Veterans Plaza. This garden not only follows our President’s theme but also enhances their community and honors our veterans. The monument garden is located in a area visible to many and used by the Town for celebrations.
Marblehead Garden Club (Northeastern) $750.00
Rarely do we have the opportunity to help an historic project that has faithfully followed the guidelines of the National Park Service to restore the l942, Colonial Revival garden design of Paul Frost, (no relation) with primary source material to a period of significance of the historic Lee Mansion.
Country Lane Garden Club of Chelmsford (Northern) $500.00
A small club doing a mighty job of renovating a garden which they established and have maintained since 2004 at the Public Library. As the garden is located on a rotary in the middle of town, it is viewed mainly by the public driving by. Due to environmental changes in site conditions the emphasis in design will now be to create a pollinator garden with color impact.
Sudbury Garden Club (North Central) $500.00 Sudbury Garden Club has gone through the arduous permitting process to put up a large, permanent, wooden sign at a 4 way intersection at the edge of the park where the club has continuously maintained 8 garden areas. The sign brings attention to the Sudbury Garden Club and all their efforts in beautifying this public park…If only all clubs could get such recognition!
Garden Club of Mansfield (South Shore) $500.00
Time often necessitates changes in a planned landscape. Mansfield recognized the problem and updated and redesigned the WWII Memorial Monument Garden. They did away with the Boxwood that necessitated wrapping each year, was overgrown and suffered damage each year and created a well thought out, environmentally sensitive design. The Memorial Monument Garden is located on Mansfield bike path, which was formally the railroad line that brought the troops to Boston, and has been maintained by the Garden Club since 2006.
Completed Projects of the 2018 Grants:
Colonial Garden Club
of Marlborough
Stoneham
Garden Club
Williamstown
Garden Club
Wollaston
Garden Club