Sarasota Woman's Club facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sarasota Woman's Club
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sarasota, Florida |
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| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | G. L. Lysat and H. N. Hall |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| MPS | Sarasota MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000087 |
| Added to NRHP | January 18, 1985 |
The Sarasota Woman's Club is a really old and important building in Sarasota, Florida. It's also known as the Florida Studio Theatre. This historic building is located at 1241 North Palm Avenue.
The club itself started in 1913. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1985. Today, the clubhouse is home to the Keating Theatre, which is the main stage for the Florida Studio Theatre.
Contents
How the Building Started
The Sarasota Woman’s Club began with 63 founding members on April 14, 1913. Sarasota became a city in 1914. Two years after the club started, they laid the first stone for their new clubhouse. This happened on January 1, 1915, at the corner of Cocoanut and Palm.
The club's first president, Alice Guenther, gave a speech at the event. By its second birthday, the club had 200 members. They owned the land and had moved into their new clubhouse. The building cost $4,500 to build.
Architect H.N. Hall and contractor George Lysat designed the building. It was built in the Tudor Revival style. This style looks a bit like old English houses.
A part of the clubhouse was used for Sarasota’s library. The Woman’s Club kept the library running with fundraisers. In 1940, the library became a public library.
In 1953, the clubhouse was updated and redecorated. Naomi Widrig, a club member, led this project. The mayor from when the club first opened, A.B. Edwards, spoke at the event. Mrs. Joseph Halton, the club's first vice president, also spoke.
Mrs. Halton was one of the first people to act in the space. This space is now the main stage of the Florida Studio Theatre. She was in a play called “Sunbonnets.” People could watch the play at the clubhouse for 25 cents. Club members got in for free. Later, the play moved to the Hover Arcade Theatre for another show.
In 1977, the clubhouse became home to the Florida Studio Theatre. That same year, it was recognized as a Historical Site. A special marker was put up to show its importance.
What People Thought of the Club
When the Woman’s Club first started, the Sarasota Sun newspaper asked people what they thought. The mayor at the time, Mayor Higel, really liked the club. He said it was the "Best move ever made here." He felt people listened to the club more than other groups.
Other government officials had different ideas. Marshall Hodge said, “The Woman’s Club is all right; but I have troubles of my own.” City Clerk Houle joked, “It’s a terror to the men.”
The husband of the club president, Mrs. Alice Gunther, also joked. He said it was "A great institution for the town." But he added, "I expect to be buttonless, sockless and half-fed for the next year." Another resident, Walter P. Bryan, joked, "I have been married so recently I dare not say what I think."
Overall, most people thought the club was good for the community. J.W. Madison admired the women. He said, "Good thing! The Woman’s Club always takes the advance position in civics." J.J. Merrill said the club was "Of invaluable assistance to the city, morally and physically." W.T. Caven believed that cities with a woman's club showed "greater progress in its culture and municipal worth."
Club Activities and Projects
The Sarasota Woman’s Club actually started as the Town Improvement Society in 1903. This group of women worked to make the town better. Their first project was to get sidewalks built on Main Street. Before that, there were only sand paths. They also put up lanterns at the train station. And they started the first community library.
In the early 1900s, women became more involved in society. The Woman’s Club continued many of the Town Improvement Society's projects. They had committees for the library, cemeteries, and education. They also had groups for music and welfare. Within four years, the club became a central place for social activities.
In 1913, the Woman’s Club took over the library. They also started fixing up Rosemary Cemetery, which was in bad shape. They even organized a community work day. On this day, businesses closed, and over 200 men helped create a park along the bay front.
The next year, they counted the population and started birth registration. They also planted 250 cocoanut trees along the shore. In 1915, from their new clubhouse, they looked into ways for parents to save money on sending their kids to school. They also sold special seals to help fight Tuberculosis.
The years 1917 and 1918 focused on helping school-aged children. Club members started the local PTA (Parent-Teacher Association). They also pushed for kids to attend school regularly. They organized the Red Cross Auxiliary. They even held training classes for elementary school students.
In 1917, 61 club members signed up to help with the war effort. They listed their skills to be used where needed. A newspaper article asked other women to join. It said, "Much of the work will be inglorious—but grimly necessary."
From 1920 to 1921, club members raised money for a local hospital. They also registered to vote. They joined larger groups like the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs (FFWC) and the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC). The FFWC was very good at conservation. They worked to stop trees from being cut down in the Everglades.
The club kept doing good work. In 1938, they started the Helen R. Payne Day Care Nursery. This helped children of migrant workers. They even helped a child in France. They raised money and sent care packages to this child.
Today, the Woman’s Club supports many projects. These include Canine Companions for Independence, Special Olympics, and HOBY. They also help the Everglades National Park.
Locally, they help the Sarasota County Library. They offer scholarships for students. They continue to work with the Helen R. Payne Day Care Nursery. They also help Oak Park School, The Pines of Sarasota, the American Cancer Society, and the Sarasota Women’s Legal Fund.
The club also donates to other groups. These include All Faiths Food Bank, Resurrection House, and Bay Pines Veterans Hospital.
Club Events and Themes
The Woman’s Club organized their year into special themed seasons. Each year, the club would announce the theme.
In 1914, the club held a pretend court trial. In 1921, they had a discussion about "The Censorship of the Movies." In 1924, Princess Cantacuzene spoke to the club. She talked about how women can make social change.
The club often hosted themed evenings. These often included costume shows. In 1916, a Mother Goose themed party raised a lot of money. It brought in $378.28. The 1919 Colonial Ball had many couples. They took part in a Grand March. They also got Colonial hats as party favors.
In 1950, they had a hat show. After the show, they performed a skit. It was called “The Lizzie Dash-It Hat Shoppe.” A club member, Mrs. Charles Wise, wrote it. At these events, the club song was often sung.
The 1959-1960 season had themes like "Investment in Understanding." It started with a talk by Dr. Alfred P. Haake. He spoke about "America Unlimited." The season also included book reviews and a cartoonist's show. There was a Christmas play called The Gift Supreme. They also had talks, lectures, and an art history presentation. There was even a seminar with business tips for women.
All the money the club raised went back to the town. It also supported state projects and other good causes.
Club Rules and Publicity
To keep people updated, the Woman’s Club published weekly notes. These appeared in The Sarasota Times newspaper. This paper was Sarasota’s first, started in 1899.
The Sarasota Woman’s Club followed certain rules. They published their constitution and rules in The Sarasota Times in 1913. They also had a special saying called the “Brighten Up Rules.”
These rules encouraged members to be positive and cheerful. They wanted members to "Brighten Up" themselves and their homes. They also wanted them to "Brighten Up" their businesses and their town. The goal was to help the town grow socially and economically. They also promoted a love for nature, sunshine, and fresh air. Their main idea was to "Adopt Brighten Up as my slogan."
The Woman’s Club also found inspiration in a poem. It was called “What is a Woman’s Club?” The poem described a club as a place for women with big goals. It said it was a place for kind words and deeds. It was where people could connect and help each other succeed. The poem called it "a heaven fair."
The Club Today
Today, the Sarasota Woman’s Club still holds events. These events help many local and national charities. Besides the original club, the Golden City Woman’s Club of Sarasota started in 1962. It serves Sarasota County.
The Florida Studio Theatre (FST) now uses the old clubhouse. It is located at 1241 North Palm Avenue. FST also uses buildings next to it. In 1976, FST founder Jon Spelman saw the clubhouse. It was empty and needed a lot of repairs.
A supporter of the arts, Marian McKenna, bought the old building. She had fond memories of the clubhouse. She then sold it to FST for a much lower price. Under FST’s ownership, the clubhouse has been greatly improved. It still looks like the original building from the outside.
Over the last 40 years, FST has become very important in American Theatre. The Sarasota Women’s Club building now has the Keating Theatre. This theatre has 173 seats and is one of FST's main stages. The Keating Theatre is a key part of FST’s group of five theatres. It serves over 230,000 people each year.
