Tenancy The Horticultural Society has occupied several homes since its 1827 founding. "It held its first meetings at the
Franklin Institute, the
American Philosophical Society, the Athenaeum and a few other locations throughout the city." In 1867, PHS built its first Horticultural Hall, whose location was described as Broad and Lardner Streets or Broad Street below Locust. PHS held flower and horticultural shows here until 1881, when the building was destroyed in a fire. The structure was rebuilt, but again destroyed by fire in 1893. From 1895 to 1898, PHS was led by banker
Clarence H. Clark, who was known for his early collections of rhododendrons and chrysanthemums. During Clark's term as president, PHS built a new horticultural hall on Broad below Locust, From 1946 to 1964, it rented space above
Suburban Station. In 2003, a former PHS president, J. Liddon Pennock Jr., donated to the Society his 25-acre estate in
Abington, Pennsylvania north of Philadelphia. Dubbed Meadowbrook Farm, it sells plants at a retail shop and maintains several greenhouses that are used to prepare plants for the Philadelphia Flower Show.
Later initiatives In recent years, PHS has been able to reach new audiences with the addition of its annual PHS Pop-Up Gardens. The first one was in 2011 at 20th and Market streets, however, it began to resonate with younger audiences when Avram Hornik of FCM Hospitality partnered with the organization to bring food and drinks on premise creating a space that reflected the budding trend of pop up beer gardens, for the 2013 location at Broad and Spruce streets. In 2019, PHS adopted Vision 2027, a new strategy that fully commits PHS to using horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia region. Driven by a diverse community of more than 300,000 supporters, volunteers, and gardeners, PHS uses all its activities to advance four impact priorities: creating healthy living environments, increasing access to fresh food, expanding economic opportunity, and building meaningful social connections. ==References==