Construction on River Farm began in 1790, and it was once known as “Wellington.” Photo by Mike Salmon.
To the Board of Directors, The American Horticulture Society, shared with the Mount Vernon Gazette
Dear Board of Directors:
We, the many dedicated volunteers who contribute our time, work, and talents to the American Horticultural Society (AHS) at River Farm, would like to ask a few questions about your decision to merge with the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and sell River Farm.
In 1973, Enid Haupt, noted philanthropist, avid gardener, and dedicated member of the AHS Board, learned of the potential sale of River Farm to the Soviet Union. As a result, she donated $1 million to AHS to enable it to purchase the property. Her gift had two important conditions.
First, Mrs. Haupt wished for River Farm to become the headquarters for AHS. Second, and much more importantly, Mrs. Haupt stipulated that River Farm be made open to the public.
We were surprised to receive an email on Sept. 4, 2020 from Dan Scott, AHS Director of Horticulture. Mr. Scott informed us that AHS was facing serious financial challenges and was evaluating options for the organization. He indicated that the Board decided to “begin discussions with the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) to merge with them and unite our compatible missions of promoting and leading in sustainable gardening,” and that the Board had decided to sell River Farm.
According to the email, AHS intends to use the sale proceeds, along with its other assets, to establish an endowment for the continuation of AHS as part of APGA. Finally, Mr. Scott explained that the Board made these decisions reluctantly and only after considering other options.
We continue to believe in AHS’s mission and, just as Mrs. Haupt did when she donated the purchase money for the property, value River Farm as both a historical property and open public green space.
Therefore, we would like to ask the following questions:
What specific options did the Board consider before it voted on the current plan?
Was a specific committee established to explore the sale of the property and, if so, who was on the committee?
Did the Board, or the select committee, contact The Garden Club of America, The Garden Club of Virginia, the Virginia Outdoor Federation, the Nature Conservancy, or the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust to explore options for potential purchase of the property?
Did the Board, or the select committee, contact any local, county, or state agencies to explore potential options for purchase or joint ownership of the property?
Did the Board, or the select committee, contact any local universities (University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, George Mason, William and Mary, etc.) to explore potential options for joint use or ownership of the property?
Did the Board, or the select committee, contact the National Park Service to explore potential options for ownership/management of the property?
Did the Board, or the select committee, contact the adjacent property owners to assess their interest in the future of the property?
Did the Board, or the select committee, contact the Mount Vernon Ladies Association to assess their interest in the future of the property?
Did the Board, or the select committee, consult with major donors to AHS to assess their interest in addressing the current financial issues?
Did the Board, or the select committee, conduct a survey of AHS’s national membership and donors to assess their interest in a merger with APGA?
In his message on Sept. 4, 2020, Mr. Scott mentioned “financial challenges on a number of fronts,” and it appears that financial difficulties are the primary reason for the Board’s actions.
We have the following questions:
What specific actions has AHS completed in the recent past to ensure its financial stability?
In review of recent IRS 990 forms, it appears that the AHS finances have been consistent in past years and 2019 was one of its best years ever for fundraising. Besides the financial impact of the pandemic and the resulting loss of revenue from event bookings, special tours, and weddings, are there any other financial issues that affected the Board’s decisions?
Does AHS have an endowment to rely on in times of an emergency such as the recent pandemic of Covid-19?
Has AHS signed a formal and legal agreement with the APGA? We would appreciate your sharing a copy of the agreement so we can better understand the current and proposed relationship between AHS and APGA.
What are the relationships between previous and current members of the Board and APGA?
How was the decision made to hire the law firm advising the Board on the merger, and what specific steps did the Board take to avoid conflicts of interest in this decision?
Does the proposed agreement with APGA require specific funding from AHS at the completion of the merger?
Please explain why the Chair of the AHS Board, Erich E. Veitenheimer, resigned at the completion of the vote by the Board?
Please explain why AHS Board member, Mary Pat Matheson, resigned at the completion of the vote by the Board?
Please explain the Board’s process for selecting a real estate agent for the sale of River Farm. What is the relationship between the selected real estate agent and the current and previous Board members?
Has anyone investigated the current legal easements and encumbrances that exist on the River Farm property?
What steps do the Board and/or APGA plan to take to ensure that River Farm, in the spirit of Mrs. Haupt’s gift, remains open to the public following its sale?
Prior to the sale, would the Board consider placing an easement on River Farm to ensure that it remains open and accessible to the public?
Prior to the sale, would the Board consider placing a conservation easement on River Farm to protect the property and its historical value from further development?
Prior to the sale, does the Board plan to apply to add River Farm to the National Register of Historic Places?
What is the minimum amount of money that AHS would need to raise from the sale of River Farm to shore up its financial situation and/or meet its outstanding obligations?
In summary, we have made countless contributions to AHS and most of us are members and donors. Quite simply, each one of us has a true love for River Farm and its gardens and wish for this historic property to remain an open, green space that is a resource for future generations.
We respectfully request that you delay any further action with the APGA merger and that the potential sale of River Farm be delayed until these outstanding questions have been answered. We fear that the lack of transparency in this decision to merge with APGA and to sell the property, along with possible conflicts of interest, may put the AHS in jeopardy from a fiduciary and legal perspective.
Thank you for your attention and the consideration of our questions. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Respectfully,
Anne Augusterfer, Deborah Beck, Ray Burke, Lois A. Durant, Kary Ewalt, Anne W. Fafara, Kathie Fricke, Sonja Hamric, Elizabeth Hickey, Craig Hirai, Geri Hirai, Melanie Lynch, Teddy Sharon McBay, Elizabeth McElwain, Elizabeth Morsches, Myra Mutzelburg, Annette Pigott, Mary Rohweder, Holly Rowe, Cliff Routh, Lowell Schuetze, Nancy Schuetze, Daniel Straub, Lisa Twedt