Lend-A-Hand Club facts for kids
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Lend-A-Hand Club
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Lend-A-Hand Club
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 105 S. Main St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Frederick G. Clausen |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| MPS | Davenport MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83002525 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 7, 1983 |
| Removed from NRHP | December 19, 2014 |
The Lend-A-Hand Club was once a special place in Davenport, Iowa, USA. It was located right by the river in the city center. This building was important enough to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Contents
History of the Club
What Was the Lend-A-Hand Club?
The Lend-A-Hand Club started in Davenport in 1886. It was part of a bigger group called the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons. The idea for these clubs came from Edward Everett Hale in the 1870s. He was a minister and writer who fought against slavery before the American Civil War.
The club was a safe and friendly place for young women. Many of these women lived and worked away from their families. The club gave them a community and a safe environment.
Growing and Expanding Services
At first, the club rented different places downtown. When it was in a department store, it offered quiet rooms for rest and reading. As the club grew, it moved to bigger spaces.
These larger facilities had many more services. They included a cafeteria, reading rooms, and a cozy parlor. There were also showers, laundry facilities, and areas for arts and crafts. The club even had a gymnasium! It also hosted talks on topics important to women. The Lend-A-Hand Club became the main place in Davenport that offered services for women. It was so successful that another group, the YWCA, did not need to open a branch in Davenport.
A Permanent Home
People worked hard to raise money for the club. In 1922, they bought land and built a permanent building. This new building was on South Main Street, across from the Dillon Memorial.
The new club building had dormitory rooms for women to live in. It also featured a comfortable lounge, a cafeteria, and even a swimming pool. Building this club was part of a larger project to improve the riverfront in Davenport. These improvements happened between 1912 and 1931. The club offered programs on many topics. These included bicycling for women, women working outside the home, and women's right to vote.
The Club's Later Years
The building stopped being a women's facility in the 1960s. The city of Davenport then rented it. In 1973, the city changed it into housing for older people. A new building for the elderly was built in the late 1980s. The original Lend-A-Hand Club building was torn down in 1990. It was removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Building Design
The Lend-A-Hand Club building was three stories tall. It was made of brick and shaped like a "U." It also had a raised basement. The building was designed by a local architect named Frederick G. Clausen. He used the Renaissance Revival style for its design.
The building had special decorations. These included terracotta pilasters (flat, column-like decorations) and a cornice (a decorative molding near the roof). Four decorative urns sat on the parapet (the low wall at the edge of the roof). The "U" shape of the building was smart. It allowed the living spaces to get lots of natural light and fresh air. The main floor was a rectangular shape. This part of the building held all the social service areas for the club.
