Katy Hamman-Stricker Library facts for kids
The Katy Hamman-Stricker Library is a special place in Calvert, Texas, USA. It's not just a library; it's also a museum and a community center where people can gather. This building was the very first chapter house built in Texas by a group called the American Woman's League. It was built in 1909, but it became the town's library about 30 years later. Today, it's recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, which means it's an important historical site.
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How the Library Building Started
The building that now holds the library and museum was built in 1909. It was created by a group called the American Woman's League (AWL). This was the first AWL Chapter House in Texas, and one of the first four in the entire country!
What Was the American Woman's League?
The American Woman's League (AWL) was started in 1907 by a magazine publisher named E.G. Lewis. He wanted to help women get more opportunities and also to sell more magazines. The AWL's main goal was to help women with education, culture, and business.
Mr. Lewis planned to create a network of places and businesses just for women. This included things like online schools, libraries where you could get books by mail, savings banks, and even homes for people who didn't have one. He helped pay for special buildings called chapter houses in small towns across the United States. Each chapter house was meant to be a community center for learning, cultural events, and social gatherings. They also helped create jobs for women.
Who Was Katy Hamman-Stricker?
Katy Hamman-Stricker was a key person who helped get an American Woman's League meeting house built in Calvert, Texas. Her father, William H. Hamman, was a general during the American Civil War. After the war, he worked with land and railroads. He also ran for governor of Texas a couple of times, but he didn't win.
Katy Stricker and her husband, Herman L. Stricker, were important leaders in their community. They were involved in business, civic activities, and social events. They built a beautiful two-story Victorian home in Calvert in 1900, which also became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark later on.
Building Style and Its Journey
At first, the building was just one room with a small kitchen. It served as the clubhouse for the American Woman's League. The building's design followed a style called the Prairie School, which often features low, flat roofs.
By 1939, the American Woman's League had stopped operating. That's when the Calvert Woman's Club bought the building. They decided to use it as the town's library. The Calvert Woman's Club still supports the library for the community today.
The library is named after Katy Hamman-Stricker because she was one of the first members of the local AWL. She also continued to be a big supporter of the library for many years. In 2003, the Texas Historical Commission officially recognized the building as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
What's New at the Library
The Calvert library is one of only 38 American Woman's League chapter houses left in the country. It's the only one still standing in Texas!
In 2005, this historic building needed some important repairs. The ground under it was sinking a bit, and it needed work on its roof and electrical wiring. To help with these repairs, the National Endowment for the Humanities gave the library a grant of $14,656. This money helped them fix up the building and keep it safe for everyone to enjoy.
