SFGC at the Conservatory of Flowers
The SFGC Club has been extremely resourceful in continually raising money for the rebuilding and maintenance of the Conservatory of Flowers. Many of its members are also involved in varying degrees with the Conservatory.
The Club has been a leading supporter of the COF for many years, underwriting the original ponds and plant collections. In 1971, the Club established the SFGC Conservatory Fund, restored the Victoria Pond, underwrote the new sprinkling system, and restored the Cloverleaf Pond.
The storms of 1995-96 severely damaged the COF. ln 1997, the Club organized a kick-off benefit for the restoration of the Conservatory. In 1998, the SFGC was responsible for placing the Conservatory on the 100 most Endangered World Monuments list by the World Monuments Fund.
Also in 1998, then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton invited key members of the Club’s restoration committee to breakfast to celebrate the Conservatory’s National Trust status. Construction on a new conservatory could not begin until the plants in the damaged structure had been securely moved and stored.
The SFGC, with $25,000 seed money, spearheaded the construction of the greenhouse to house the plant collections during the major reconstruction. Writing grants and securing donations, the Club raised $128,500.75, the price of the greenhouse. It opened in 1999 and construction began soon afterward. September 20, 2003 saw the historic grand re-opening of the COF.
Since 1997, SFGC contributions to the Conservatory restoration have exceeded $500,000.