The Gardens were designed by Kathleen Cowgill, with the South Terrace created in 1960, the North Terrace in 1962, and the Nettie Jones Garden in 1964. They were developed and supported by the Talbot County Garden Club under the guardianship of Doris Rend. In 1968, they received a Special Civic Award from the Maryland Federation of Garden Clubs' House and Garden Pilgrimage. In 1969, they won the Governor's Bowl and first prize in a statewide contest sponsored by the Maryland Federation of Garden Clubs and Sears Roebuck Company. They were regularly cared for by the Horticulture Committee, the Garden Club, and the Historical Society.