What year did the Flower Show move to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and where was it held before that?
Answer
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s first flower show was the first public flower show in America, and it was held in 1829 and we’ve been holding flower shows since that time.
20th Century venues:
2023 and future years: Pennsylvania Convention Center
2021 - 2022: FDR Park, South Philadelphia
1996 - 2020: Pennsylvania Convention Center
1966 - 1995: Civic Center in West Philadelphia
1965: Armory of the First City Troop, 22 South 23rd Street, Philadelphia
mid1920s -1964: Commercial Museum, 34th and Spruce, West Philadelphia
Earlier venues:
1896 - 1917 Third Horticultural Hall located just south of the Academy of Music on Broad Street (near Broad and Spruce). Designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Miles Day. Building sold in 1917 and demolished that year
1882 - 1893 Second Horticultural Hall built on same location as above. Designed by Philadelphia architect Addison Hutton. Building destroyed by fire, 1893
1867 - 1881 First Horticultural Hall built on same location as above, 1867. Building destroyed by fire, 1881 (today's address would be 250 S. Broad Street)
See images of PHS’s three Horticultural Halls.
Since its founding in 1827 PHS met in several locations including the Chinese Museum (9th & Sansom) and the Academy of Music (240 S. Broad Street) before erecting its own building. Early meetings (1827-1927) are listed here, in the 1927 Yearbook
See historic images in our online digital repository
Some of this information is from
Boyd, James. A history of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 1827-1927, Philadelphia, Printed for the Society, 1929.
--- answered by Janet Evans, PHS McLean Library Associate Director