Photo Provided Martha Hartley, an organizer of a Garden Party with the Blennerhassetts on June 23 on Blennerhassett Island in the Blennerhassett Pleasure Garden, will appear in period costume as she makes presentations on how the Blennerhassetts hosted garden parties.

PARKERSBURG — A recreation of a 19th century garden party hosted by Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett will be held 1:45-4:30 p.m. June 23 on Blennerhassett Island.

The event is planned by Martha and Richard Hartley, who also organized the annual Dining with the Blennerhassetts.

“It will educate the public about Harman’s and Margaret’s Pleasure Garden,” said Pam Salisbury, event coordinator for Blennerhassett Island. ”This garden party also provides some fun, hands-on experiences.”

The event supports the restoration of the Blennerhassett Pleasure Garden, the Hartleys said. No plants have yet been planted in the Pleasure Garden.

Mark Abbott, president of the Friends of Blennerhassett, will portray Harman Blennerhassett and Karen Swiney will portray Margaret. Both will be in period costumes.

Photo Provided The Blennerhassett Pleasure Garden near the mansion on Blennerhassett Island will be the site of a Garden Party with the Blennerhassetts on June 23.

Guests will be introduced to the English head gardener, Peter Taylor, portrayed by Dick Hartley, who will speak about the garden.

“The grounds of this estate lend a magnificent setting and beauty to the mansion itself and are in part responsible for establishing the island’s fame,” Dick Hartley said.

The program will include a discussion of the archaeological search for the original site of the gardens with archaeologist Jerrel Anderson, a Friends member and chair of the island Archaeological Committee.

Martha Hartley, who will be in period costume with a basket of fresh-cut flowers in hand, will recite historic quotes about the Pleasure Garden from travelers and visitors in the Blennerhassett time period.

“These quotes allow us to journey back to the early 1800s and walk within the Blennerhassett Island Pleasure Garden,” she said.

Photo Provided During the time of Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, the Pleasure Garden was surrounded by a tall fence made of wooden palings or boards. Today, the northeast corner of the fence was reconstructed to show what the original fence may have looked like. Reconstructed paling corners in three of the four corners of the garden allow visitors to visualize the extent of the original garden. The fourth corner would have been near the mansion in the area where the grave site is located.

Participants are encouraged to dress in a period costume.

Period music will be performed by Scott Cain and Pam Salisbury as song leader.

Period dances will be performed by the Blennerhassett Dancers led by Merrill Carnes.

The last of the activities are lawn games from the time period, including lawn bowling, game of grace, shut-the-box and a ring toss.

Refreshments from the Blennerhassetts time period will be served, such as cookies, bread and butter tea sandwiches with shaved ham and beef, cucumber slices, an apricot jam tartlet, a non-alcoholic syllabub and lemonade.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the mansion portico with the garden party lawn activities and refreshments moved indoors at Maple Shade.

For more information, call 304-420-4800. Pre-registration is required by June 19. The cost is $35 per person.