Nearly 25 years ago, the Polly Hill Arboretum opened to the public. Next Saturday, Aug. 5, the horticultural institution plans to host a free event in celebration.
“This is kind of our opportunity to say thank you to our community of supporters,” said Polly Hill executive director Tim Boland. “Some have been supporting us the entirety of the 25 years.”
The event, which runs from 3 to 7 pm, boasts food trucks, lawn games, and live music. There will also be tours available throughout the event.
“It’s for everybody, really,” Boland said.
The 72-acre West Tisbury property traces back to 1669, when it was designated as one of the original “home lots” created in the town. After Henry Luce, the lot’s original settler, died, the property changed hands several times.
In 1926, it was sold to Polly Hill’s parents, Margaret and Howard Butcher Jr., as a summer home. Polly Hill and her husband Julian would go on to inherit the land.
In 1957, Polly Hill had taken over the property, and by 1958, she had planted her first tree: a European beech that still grows today. For 40 years, she kept planting.
