The Bath Garden Club was established in April of 1948 when a group of 25 capable women in hats and gloves met at the home of Mrs. Sumner Sewall on Washington Street. These founding members agreed that the mission of the club would be to promote gardening and to cooperate with other agencies involved in gardening and conservation.

Since its inception, the Bath Garden Club has been noted for its civic-mindedness and for its willingness to take on unusual and sometimes difficult challenges.  In 1949, when Dutch Elm disease became a concern, the group undertook the task of aiding the state by counting all the elm trees in the city. In 1958, the club voted to raise the sum of $15,000 (equivalent to $125,000 today) to commission the Spirit of the Sea fountain in Library Park by William Zorach, a Georgetown native and one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century.  Other early projects of note are the lilac hedge at Togus Veteran’s Hospital, garden therapy at Hyde School for Crippled Children, pole basket plantings in the downtown area, and the planting of trees, shrubs, and perennials at Patten Free Library, Bath Memorial Hospital, Soldiers Monument, and Waterfront Park.

Today, the Bath Garden Club continues its tradition of community service and involvement through civic beautification, outreach to the community through garden therapy, youth activities, scholarships, and conservation efforts.  Although the outward appearance of our hats and gloves may have changed, and our members now include men as well as women, our commitment and resolve remain the same. ​