It’s not magic
From storage to a garden club’s new home

By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
WOODSTOCK — Some space in the Palmer Hall/the Center for Woodstock History went from the tiny world of chowder cup storage to the big beautiful world of gardens and landscaping.
Last weekend the Quiet Corner Garden Club settled into its new home after a summer of work by volunteers and “amazing” donations of labor and materials.
Plan A, using rusty garden shears, did not get the ribbon-cutting job done, but Plan B —– a regular pair of scissors — did work and the club officially has a new home. 
The president of the Center for Woodstock History (formerly the Woodstock Historical Society), Jay Cantor, said the society used to hold a chowder fund-raiser at the barn at Roseland Cottage. It involved about 20 volunteers and tons of chowder bowls and paper cups. They were stored in a small room at the Palmer hall. That fund-raiser pulled in about $3,000 but it was labor intensive and the society stopped. Food trucks followed. 
And all those cups sat in the small room.
Meanwhile the Quiet Corner Garden Club’s archives from its inception in 1978 forward went from guest rooms to basements to ending up at the Bracken library. It was difficult getting access, said club historical committee Chair Mary Ann Johnson. Cantor said after a “casual conversation” revealed the club’s dilemma, Cantor offered the small room and gave all the cups and bowls to the church. “The space was decent,” Cantor said. 
The club’s “new home” committee got to work transforming the room into a peaceful space complete with a sink and counter and space for all the club’s archives. Cantor gave his gardening books to the club’s reference bookcase there. 
And that inspired a rebirth of the front of the hall. “We were trying to get this building to stand out more,” Cantor said. Cantor said two trees that were encroaching on the building and weren’t original - “didn’t belong there” — were removed. In the era the building was built there wasn’t much in front of public buildings, but he did find reference to an old building in Charleston, S.C., with a “sweep of bushes” in front. And two years ago the society got a grant to repair the stairs in front. Turned out to be good thing as the stairs’ disrepair was the culprit in water getting into the basement. The brick path was also removed. “We wanted to frame the front without encouraging that as the entryway.”
Johnson thanked her garden club historical committee team and all those who donated their time, talent and donations. The landscaping work in the front was donated. In addition the dilapidated sink was replaced with a new kitchenette space, courtesy of Brunahans. Central Flooring of Dudley gave the club a new floor. Chace Paint Center helped with advice on paint colors, the type of paint to use and “gave us a wonderful donation”. 
Johnson said club member volunteers spent hours this past summer cleaning, sanding, and painting the room, the hall and the doorway. Others who helped included: Gregg Corso of Arbor Active, Gary Kettle of Stump-Be-Gone, club members Sharon Brochu, Kristi Keating, Mary Lou Mallouk, Claire Laporte, Pat Papini, Karen McFarlin and other members of the 140-member club.
Club Vice President Mike Radzvilowicz called the effort “amazing.” The work brought all the club members together, preserving not just the club’s heritage but adding a breath of fresh air. He added he was amazed by all the donations. 

captions:

Mary Ann Johnson and Jay Cantor tried the shears first. No go. The scissors worked and the ribbon was cut on the Quiet Corner Garden Club's new office in Palmer Memorial Hall, Woodstock. More photos Wed. night on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photos.

The new office.

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