Terms for Historic Landscape Restorations

An application for Historic Landscape Restoration shall be made to the Chairman of the Restoration Committee of the Garden Club of Virginia (GCV). If, after careful consideration of the request and if the Restoration Committee approves the project, the Committee will recommend it to the Board of Directors of the GCV, and if approved by the Board, the project will be presented to the membership of the GCV. Following approval by the membership, the GCV agrees to bear the agreed upon expenses of restoring or landscaping the property, including the fees and expenses of the landscape architect, subject to the owner's fulfillment of the terms identified below.

The garden, landscape, and/or grounds shall be of historic importance and must be open to the public on a regular basis, either seasonally, several days a week, or daily, including Historic Garden Week in Virginia.

A contract shall be drawn between the property owner and the Garden Club of Virginia describing the restoration work that the GCV will undertake and the obligation of the applicant. Preferably, this will be signed before the project is approved by the membership of the GCV. Six copies of the contract will be signed by both parties, five copies of which will be returned to the Restoration Committee Chairman - one for the permanent file, one for Hunton & Williams LLP, one for the landscape architect's file, one for the property file, and one for the liaison's file. Once the GCV membership has approved the project and the contract has been signed, work may begin.

The owner shall furnish the Garden Club of Virginia with a topographical survey and additional pertinent historical data if needed. The owner shall be consulted as the plans are developed, and the final plan shall be agreed upon by both parties. The landscape plans will be the property of the GCV. The owner agrees that any copy or replica of the plan, design, or landscape produced or authorized by the owner shall credit the contribution of the GCV.

Accepted maintenance specifications will be included in the agreement, and further maintenance shall be the obligation of the owner. A maintenance manual will be given to the owner. Strict adherence to high standards of maintenance is required; the owner agrees that improvements in the landscape, in most cases, will mean additional care and the necessity of an adequate source of water.

After work on the project is completed by the GCV, any future changes in the landscape design must be approved by the owner and the GCV. A member of the Restoration Committee will be the liaison to the property. She will visit several times a year, and the entire Committee will visit periodically. The owner may request a visit from the liaison or from the Chairman.

The property will be publicized annually in the Historic Garden Week guide book, and possibly in other publications. It will also be listed on the GCV web page and may appear on the Virginia Historical Society's web page.

At the completion of the work, a plaque bearing the seal of the Garden Club of Virginia, the date of completion, and the name of the landscape architect will be installed at an appropriate location in the landscape by the Garden Club of Virginia.