The Meeting House deck looks out over a vista that is timeless in its beauty. Eons of geological time. Centuries of historical time. Time past. Time present. Time future.
From this vantage point, one can reflect upon the past, envisioning the landscape as it once was. For centuries a wilderness of tall trees, lush vegetation, countless animals and birds. Then suddenly, in geologic terms, a farm appears with cows, crops, and conviction.
One becomes attune to the now, and realizes the bountiful richness the area brings. A deck for dreaming. A structure for art, education, and entertainment. A field for gazing at everything from newts to novas.
And what of the future? One can dream. One can speculate. One tries to see into the future:
- Perhaps, someday, a large open air amphitheater for outdoor entertainment events sited on the hill.
- Certainly more music, art, and sculptures, with an increased reputation as a regional art center, a longstanding tradition at Landis.
- The Meeting House that evolves into a facility with more uses, including an emergency shelter with the capability to house local residents in the event of a natural disaster. And weddings, conferences, and expanded educational programs will all be better accommodated in this new space.
National prominence for the Landis collections, like the renovated lilac garden visible from the deck. The George Landis Arboretum finally receives the recognition that so many people have worked so hard to achieve.
Poet T. S. Eliot reflected “Time present and time past / Are both perhaps present in time future, / And time future contained in time past.”
We invite our visitors, members, and volunteers to contemplate the past, celebrate the present, and help create a phenomenal future.