The Peggy Crosby Center – affectionately known as “The Peggy” – is not just another pretty face in Highlands. She’s got history, heart, beauty, and a lot of soul!
In 1990, Philip Crosby had a vision for the former hospital building (built in 1948) whereby it could serve the community. His desire to honor his wife’s legacy in the Highlands community led him to create and partially fund the “Peggy Crosby Center.”
He envisioned a specific purpose for the Center. Since then, “The Peggy” has provided multiple non-profits and start-up companies with affordable, desirable office space so that they can more efficiently serve their clients.
Since 2010, the building systems have been made more energy efficient – windows, doors, lighting, plumbing, emergency generator and HVAC. The infrastructure has been improved – internet, plumbing, electrical, parking lot, retaining walls, and walkways. Her beauty treatments consist of new flooring, paint, ceilings, furniture, and artwork.
Her soul is the hundreds from the community who walk the halls of “The Peggy” – learning life skills, obtaining international assistance, receiving counseling, preserving our precious lands and those who just want to expand their horizons.
The transformation of “The Peggy” is possible because of generous donations. Her daily operations are funded entirely by tenant rents, but all building enhancements, renovations and upgrades are funded by donations and grants.
And finally, in a strange resonance to our Debby Hall’s article about our local bees, there’s the Peggy’s magnificent Pollinator Garden.
Made possible by the generous support of The Laurel Garden Club and other special donors from within the community, and under the direction of noted landscape designer, Canty Worley, the garden offers a beautiful array of flowering perennials and native grasses. It’s home to Salvias, Purple Coneflower, Yarrow, Coreopsis and Black-eyed Susan.
Intended as an alternative to the traditional lawn or landscaped beds, this new style of naturalistic design involves dense plantings of flowering plant communities that provide not only seasonal interest and beauty, but much needed habitat and food sources for a diverse range of pollinator species.
Many different bees, flies, wasps, moths, and butterflies have been observed.
While the garden was intended to attract and support pollinators, many other forms of life are benefiting from the planting as well. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, and a host of soil microbes are now frequenting the site.
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