A Metamorphosis for Lincoln’s Abernethy & Spencer 

By Liz Tenney Jarvis 

While this winter brings bitter cold along with copious amounts of snow and ice, there is a beehive of activity going on in Lincoln. The much beloved local nursery, Abernethy & Spencer, is in the process of not only preparing for spring but for an entire transformation. The nursery/garden center is under new ownership, but faithful patrons should fear not. This is a project on a massive scale as wonderfully historic buildings are being restored, greenhouses refurbished, and the land reconfigured to bring new and exciting features to highlight nature.  

There are now three primary partners: Jim and Autumn Knowles, Jacob Baker and Hillary Pennington, and Matt Lamberski. Walking the property, the new owners explain how their vision is coming to fruition. This is immediately apparent as there are many employees spread out across several acres busily working to finish a variety of projects. To appreciate the scale of this endeavor, one must look at the history of Abernethy & Spencer. 

The very beginnings are traced back to Hill Top Plant Gardens owned by the Gregg family. They grew from a small start in the form of a vegetable stand in the early 1900s.  The cover of the curved-eave greenhouse, that most recently housed Abernethy & Spencer’s cashier’s desk, plants and a variety of exotic birds in cages, was from a residence in the area. In the early part of the 20th century, greenhouses were moved from the USDA’s Arlington Experimental Farms. These three greenhouses came to be known as the Poinsettia House, the Carnation House and the Snapdragon House.   

By the late 1940s, the Greggs had added a large greenhouse and packing house to keep up with the demand as they had grown into a full-service florist. Pansies, which were previously not as popular, were their specialty at the time—sometimes cranking out a million plants in a season. The Gregg family’s pansies were so favored that they appeared in the garden beds at the White House and were shipped to big cities as well as out to many states. As the nursery’s reputation grew, even such high profile visitors as Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. George Marshall and Mrs. Harry S. Truman toured Hill Top Gardens.   

In late 1974, the Greggs sold the nursery to Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Drabkin. The business then changed hands a few years later and thereafter it went through a series of owners before David Lohman purchased the site in 1996. Lohman and his staff so endeared themselves to the community that the news of his pending sale to the current owners had many concerned about the future of Abernethy & Spencer. However, such consternation was unwarranted as the new owners quickly expressed their intentions and committed themselves to preserving the nursery’s history and future improvements.     

The history of the nursery is further preserved in the multitude of information that new co-owner Hillary Pennington has assembled. Scanning through over a century’s worth of newspaper clippings and interviews, one can see that the many flowers, trees and landscaping services were deeply intertwined with the gardens, personal celebrations, holidays and the very structure of the community. It is this same mindset that has brought the new owners to create plans to integrate so much of what this part of Virginia has to offer.   

David Lohman sold the business to the new owners in March of 2024. The name Abernethy & Spencer will be maintained as well as much of the character and history of the place. The renovations began in earnest once the nursery closed for the season in the fall of 2024. The seedlings and plants being readied for spring are housed in the largest greenhouse located in the lower part of the property. This very same greenhouse is the one that replaced the catastrophic collapse of the 45,000 square ft one in January of 2016.

Walking past the rows and rows of plants and out to the back, there are the rigid hoophouses that originally came from Bluemont Nursery. These houses will hold native plants on one side with non-native ones on the other. In between the two groups there is a platform for what will become another glass greenhouse. This will be used as a classroom for educational purposes and other activities. 

The owners have leased more acreage beyond these houses, looking to the sweeping view to the west, in order to move the container trees that were previously out front. This will make room for a large parking area as well as give the trees much more space to grow and “breathe” according to co-owner Jacob Baker.

This extra acreage will also be utilized to develop a nature walk which will highlight native material in “arboretum style.” Baker says, “the roughly half of a mile walk will be where you can bring your dog, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy the 100 or so variety of trees highlighted plus native perennials.”

Pennington adds that eventually the coffee cart that they have purchased will be joined by perhaps a food truck or two so that customers can come, take a nice little walk, and see what is currently for sale.

“We are bridging this gap between production, greenhouse, seasonal, place-to-get-your-flowers and the agritourism business that Western Loudoun is so known for now,” says Baker.    

The entrance to the new conservatory will feature a catwalk with a “Juliet” style balcony where one can look into the canopy of what will be tall indoor trees and down to the seating below. Again, the ability to take a refreshment from the cart and bring it to the seating area will provide a nice place to relax.

Co-owner Jim Knowles states that with about two years of grow-out this will be a “really nice tropical conservatory.” A hedged-in outside courtyard, an area for selling higher-end furniture and further seating areas provide what Lincoln currently does not have.

With Lincoln Elementary just across the street, Knowles envisions a place where parents can meet before or after dropping off their children. Much more parking space will be provided in the area once taken up by potted trees and garden bedding/mulch. 

The upper parking lot, which was small with limited spaces, will now be utilized to showcase landscaping possibilities. Knowles indicates that various landscaping companies can rotate in and out such that customers can see examples of their work.

Knowles says that it’s a great partnership that will be “like a year-round Leesburg Garden show” and will create a nice atmosphere. Walking through that section will take visitors to the retail area where there will be garden supplies as well as an opportunity for local artisans to have their work featured. 

Each historic greenhouse (those that came from aforementioned USDA’s Arlington Experimental Research) in that part of the property is being meticulously restored. The work includes no less than new vents, new ceilings, cleaned up glass, and other efforts to preserve the historical look while providing functionality to grow the plants.

Plants will be more organized and categorized by house for easier shopping. The greenhouses will be retail as opposed to production as they have such visible historic features to be enjoyed. Even the house which sits a little further up the hill will be used as a location for customers to buy a pot, a plant and pot it onsite. The exotic birds, that Abernethy & Spencer’s previous customers came to know by name, will have their own area to spread their wings. 

The owners are committed to working with nature non-profits in their promotion of native plants. There is also an initiative in place to help Mountain View Elementary refresh their courtyard gardens. The idea is to work with other local schools to help improve/restore their natural spaces as well. These efforts are to propagate the sense of community.

Currently, the timeline is for an opening on March 1, for the season with a grand opening to follow. The synergy of incorporating much of the business community while preserving the history of Abernethy & Spencer will make for a truly exciting metamorphosis.  

Abernethy & Spencer Greenhouse and Garden Center is located at 18035 Lincoln Road in Purcellville. For more information go to Abernethyspencer.com.

About the photo: The original greenhouse whose steel canopy has historic ties to Loudoun.  The cashier was once located inside – now the building will be a conservatory with tall indoor plants, seating and a place to relax with a refreshment.