At 100 years old, Lilypons Water Gardens
becomes a woman-owned and all woman-managed business.
On August 4, 2017, 100 years after the company’s founding,
family patriarch Charles B. Thomas has officially passed ownership of the
business and grounds on to his oldest daughter, Margaret Thomas Koogle and her
spouse Timothy Koogle.
Mrs. Koogle has been managing the business on her father’s
behalf since 1997 and is determined to ensure the family business thrives for
another century. "I am humbled and honored to be the fourth generation
owner of Lilypons Water Gardens,” says Koogle, “I'm proud to
lead an extremely talented and loyal staff and to continue our reputation to
serve our clients with truly named water lilies, lotus, bog plants, quality
products, advice, and exceptional service.”
Lilypons Water Gardens was started in June of 1917 by G.
Leicester Thomas Sr., under the name Three Springs Fisheries.
The Company started as a fish hatchery and quickly grew to be
one of the largest suppliers of goldfish, shipping fish to stores around the
country. Business was so robust that in 1935,
the US Postal Service established a post office on site specifically dedicated
to the large volume of mail order parcels.
The name for this new post office came from Mr. Thomas' adoration of operatic diva of the time Lily Pons. Naming a place full of lily ponds after her seemed like the perfect fit. Ms. Pons and her publicity staff enthusiastically agreed but the Postal Service required a single-word name, thus Lilypons, Maryland was born. On June 20, 1936, the post office was officially dedicated to Lily Pons. The opera singer traveled to the Washington DC suburb especially for the occasion, a gala of much pomp and circumstance, and even sang an aria on the front porch.
The name for this new post office came from Mr. Thomas' adoration of operatic diva of the time Lily Pons. Naming a place full of lily ponds after her seemed like the perfect fit. Ms. Pons and her publicity staff enthusiastically agreed but the Postal Service required a single-word name, thus Lilypons, Maryland was born. On June 20, 1936, the post office was officially dedicated to Lily Pons. The opera singer traveled to the Washington DC suburb especially for the occasion, a gala of much pomp and circumstance, and even sang an aria on the front porch.
Over time the company took a more botanical path, shifting
from growing and supplying goldfish to focus on water gardening and cultivating
waterlilies. In 1978 company president
Charles B. Thomas officially changed the name to Lilypons Water Gardens.
Now celebrating its 100th year
of existence, Lilypons Water Gardens continues to be The Source for Water
Gardening for the nation, providing beautiful plants and quality pond supplies
to customers across the country and Margaret sees great potential for
growth. In time, she intends to expand on service offerings and improve
the site’s amenities to enhance its attraction to gardeners and outdoor
lovers. She and her dedicated staff looking forward to building on
the company’s reputation of excellence and leadership in the industry.
Lilypons Water Gardens is located at 6800
Lily Pons Road in Adamstown, MD 21710. We can be reached by phone at 800 999
5459 or online at www.lilypons.com.
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| Company president Margaret Koogle (center) with office manager Melissa Richard | and operations manager Suzanne Boom |
