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Welcome to the Polly Hill Arboretum. The Polly Hill Arboretum, a Martha’s Vineyard horticultural and botanical landmark, was developed by the legendary horticulturist, Polly Hill (1907-2007). Here in 1958, Polly began an arboretum by sowing a seed, eventually bringing 20 acres under cultivation while preserving 40 additional acres as native ...
- PROGRAMS
Polly Hill valued expert advice and encouraged others to...
- PLANTS
The Polly Hill Arboretum is home to rare trees and shrubs...
- SCIENCE
A major component of the Arboretum’s mission is to...
- GET INVOLVED
There are many ways to become more involved at the Polly...
- WHAT’S NEW
The Polly Hill Arboretum has been awarded a Level IV...
- Calendar
Aug 7 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm The Polly Hill Arboretum Far Barn...
- PROGRAMS
The Polly Hill Arboretum is Polly’s living legacy. It could be simply described as a museum of trees set within a landscape of open meadows, woodlands, and stone walls, but it is much more. It is a vital public garden, a scientific institution, a community resource, a historic landscape, a conservation corridor, and a beloved Island landmark.
- Early Years
- Butcher/Hill Years
- From Private to Public
- Historic Recognition
The farm acquired by Polly’s family in 1926may be traced back in the historical record to 1669. The Arboretum’s offices are housed in the renovated Homestead, a building dating from the 1700s. Other historic structures on the property include the Far Barn, now used for lectures and special events, and the Cowbarn, which houses a horticulutral libra...
In 1926 the Littlefield’s sold 40 acres, including the Homestead and other farm buildings to Polly’s parents, Margaret and Howard Butcher, Jr., for a summer home. Margaret Butcher named the property the Barnard’s Inn Farm to honor Barnard Luce and the inn he once operated from the Homestead. Margaret Butcher was a gifted architect and decorator and...
This transition was made possible when Dr. David H. Smith met Polly through an introduction by the Vineyard Conservation Society. Dr. Smith, impressed with the scientific nature of the plant collection, approached Polly and her family and arranged for the purchase of the property. The non-profit organization, the Polly Hill Arboretum Inc., was crea...
In 2015 we received welcome news: the National Park Service has listed PHA as the Polly Hill Arboretum Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. This formal recognition of the Arboretum’s significance based on national standards honors the exceptional importance of our historic property as well as our preservation efforts. The ...
Polly Hill Arboretum. / 41.397481; -70.680542. Daily, sunrise to sunset. The Polly Hill Arboretum includes 8 ha (20 acres) under cultivation, with an additional 16 ha (40 acres) of native woodland, located on Martha's Vineyard at 809 State Road, West Tisbury, Massachusetts, United States. It has been developed since 1958 by the horticulturist ...
- 60 acres (24 ha)
- 1998
- 21 metres (69 ft)
- West Tisbury, Massachusetts, United States
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The Polly Hill Arboretum, a Martha’s Vineyard horticultural and botanical landmark, was developed by the legendary horticulturist, Mary Louise (Polly) Hill (1907-2007). Here in 1958, Polly began an arboretum by sowing a seed, eventually bringing 20 acres under cultivation while preserving 40 additional acres as native woodland.
The Polly Hill Arboretum, a 70-acre public garden, contains the results of Polly Hill’s fifty years of horticultural experimentation. Rare trees and shrubs from around the world are set among stone walls, meadows, and fields. Check Our Program Calendar. Our grounds are open daily year-round, sunrise to sunset.
Jul 6, 2023 · The first seeds of the arboretum reach back to 1958, when Mary Louisa Hill, nicknamed Polly, planted her first tree at the old Barnard’s Inn Farm in West Tisbury. It was a fagus sylvatica, a European beech still growing today, ID number 58-001. Ms. Hill was a self-taught horticulturist, but she was anything but amateur.
