The
clubhouse of the GFWC Woman's Club of Tallahassee, a stately structure
at the entrance of Los Robles, is an historical landmark that has
been the site of many civic, social, educational and entertainment
events since 1927.
The Woman's Club is actually 103 years old! In
1903, six women met at the Leon Hotel, today the site of the Federal
Court House, to form the Woman's Club of Tallahassee: Miss Anna S.
Chaires, Mrs. T. M. Shackleford, Mrs. George Davis, Mrs. Howard Gamble,
Mrs. Charles Cay and Mrs. A. L. Randolph. Miss Chaires was selected
as the first president. Almost immediately, their influence was felt
in the community. Shortly after their formation, the Woman's Club
persuaded the city officials to screen the city market, place sidewalks
on Monroe Street, improve the railroad station, plant trees and keep
the cemetery in order. It became obvious that community service was
their overall mission.
Education was a high priority. The Woman's
Club canvassed every property owner in the district and succeeded
in calling and carrying on an election to raise taxes to build a new
Leon High School. The Club nominated Trustees for this fund every
year to ensure the success of the project. In 1910, Leon High School
was built facing south Park Avenue between Bronough and Duval Streets.
By the 1920s, the Woman's Club felt the need for a clubhouse and looked
for suitable sites. With the advent of the automobile, it was possible
to consider sites out in the country. One of these sites was in Los
Robles, the first suburb, owned and developed by Lomblah and Thornton. The
developers gave the Woman's Club two lots. The plans for a clubhouse had
been drawn by architect E.D. Fitchner. The Club House was completed
on April 19, 1927.
During World War II, the Woman's Club shared its
Clubhouse with the American Red Cross, which was used for sewing and
making surgical dressings, garments and whatever else was needed.
Other community projects in the 1940s included donating 500 packets
of garden seed to the County Demonstration Agent to distribute throughout
the county and the donation of 114 pairs of adult shoes to the needy,
31 pairs of shoes and socks for children. The Club also raised $1,000
for an ongoing shoe purchase account.
When driving toward the Capitol
on Apalachee Parkway, the viewer is drawn to the beauty of the landscaping.
This is another project that involved the Woman's Club. In 1960, the
Woman's Club, in cooperation with Malcolm Johnson, then editor of
the Tallahassee Democrat, worked to obtain donated plants for the
beautification of the then new Apalachee Parkway approach to the Capitol.
A coupon was published daily in the paper for donors to complete and
return for the plants they wished to pledge with their contributions.
The State Road Department provided a crew to assist in the planting.
Concurrently, members of the Woman's Club worked with WMEN Radio City
for whom they wrote copy, sold advertising, and did the announcing
as a moneymaking project.
Many community projects too numerous to
list were undertaken by the Woman's Club in the decades that followed.
However, several should be mentioned. Old documents, stored and almost
forgotten by the State of Florida in the Old Jail, were retrieved
by several Club members who spent countless hours sorting and identifying
each of the documents. Some of these documents originated in the 1820s!
Another project involved the Club's participation on the Bank Restoration
Committee for the restoration of the Union Bank Building in 1980-82.
The Bank, one of the oldest buildings of its kind, was restored by
a legislative appropriation matched by other funds raised by the Union
Restoration Committee of the city.
The Club provides scholarships
for the woman over 30 returning to school, a scholarship annually
to a high school student to attend the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership
Conference, and has purchased two Signature Seats in the Turner Auditorium
at Tallahassee Community College for art student scholarships. The
Club supports the Hacienda Girls’ Ranch in Melbourne, by providing
birthday cards and gifts. The Club also provides funds, baskets of
food, clothing and toys for ten families with chronically ill members,
as part of the Community Improvement Project with the Florida Department
of Health. Donations are made to the Habitat for Humanity, the Boys
Choir of Tallahassee, Dr. Woody Smith's medical mission in Haiti,
and a Peace Corps mission in Kolnia, Pohnpei, Philippines.
With the
turn of the century came the winds of change and a Renaissance Flowering
began in May 2000. The Club applied for a $300,000 historical preservation
grant to restore the Clubhouse, began intensive fundraising to match
the grant by sponsoring a series of events: a Designer Dress Gala,
Art Gala, Health Symposium, Holiday Bazaar, Fashion Show Luncheon,
applied for a new corporation under the name of GFWC Woman’s Club
of Tallahassee, Inc., effective December 14, 2000, made application
for non-profit classification of 501(c) 3, joined the Tallahassee
Chamber of Commerce, co-sponsored Historical Preservation Day, designed
and initiated a Club banner flown for the first time at the 3rd Annual
Civic Club Luncheon, established a website, adopted two local libraries
for the Library 2000 project, welcomed 40 new members into the Club,
and upon receiving notice of the full grant award, began the process
of restoring the roof and other restoration projects in compliance
with the grant award.
With 100 years of continual service to the community
and with its continued purpose of making the community a better place
to live through its contributions, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Tallahassee
celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003 with the Clubhouse restored
to its original beauty, so that it can continue to be the revered
and popular gathering place for civic, social, educational, and political
events of the city.