History of THC

The Takoma Horticultural Club (THC) was patterned after the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The first meeting was held in the Takoma DC Public Library on March 1, 1916 and consisted of employees of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Service who lived in the Takoma area. Mr. D. N. Shoemaker was elected President and the club was then named the Takoma Park Horticultural Improvement Club. Membership was originally restricted to men. After three years they discovered the indispensability of women and in 1919 the Constitution was modified to admit women. This preceded by one year the nineteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The aims of the Club have not changed over the years; although several activities have been curtailed, many still continue. The Club originally offered detailed landscaping services free to members. Collective buying of plants, seeds, bulbs, and lime was a popular service. Pruning demonstrations were held as was a large plant exchange where members shared surplus plants.

Flower Shows had a prominent place in the early activities of the Club as a way to stimulate the acquisition of new varieties. The first Narcissus, Dahlia, and Rose shows were held in 1916. Tulip and Iris shows started in 1917. (An early Iris enthusiast was B. Y. Morrison, who went on to found the National Arboretum and develop the Glenn Dale azaleas.) In 1923, the first Gladiolus Show was staged. Peony shows began in 1925. In the fall, a combined fruit, flower and vegetable show was held. The shows continued from 1916 through 1998.

During World War I, the THC concentrated on the production of vegetables. It purchased and distributed seeds, obtained and developed garden sites, and sponsored the Boys and Girls Garden Club, which was a forerunner of the 4-H Clubs.

Through its collective buying, exchange sales, information services, lectures, and demonstrations, the Takoma Horticultural Club has influenced the planting of thousands of trees and shrubs, and millions of bulbs and plants.