Woman's Christian Temperance Union Administration Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Woman's Christian Temperance Union Administration Building
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1730R Chicago Ave., Evanston, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Charles R. Ayers, Earl H. Reed |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000849 |
| Added to NRHP | August 13, 2002 |
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union Administration Building is a historic place in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Since it was built in 1910, it has been the main office and publishing center for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). This group played a big part in national talks about prohibition (making alcohol illegal) and women's suffrage (women's right to vote).
Contents
The WCTU: A Powerful Women's Group
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) started in Ohio in November 1874. It quickly grew into the largest women's group in the United States. Under its first president, Annie Turner Wittenmyer, the WCTU worked hard to promote temperance. Temperance meant encouraging people to avoid alcohol. They did this by publishing many books and a weekly newspaper.
Frances Willard and New Goals
In 1879, Evanston, Illinois resident Frances Willard became the WCTU's second president. She used her home in Evanston as an unofficial main office. Many rooms in her house were turned into offices for WCTU leaders. Under Willard, the WCTU began to work on other important causes. These included helping children, improving working conditions, and changing laws about women's right to vote.
Evanston's Temperance Roots
Evanston had a long history of supporting temperance. The town was founded by Methodists who wanted to build Northwestern University. When Evanston became an official town in 1863, its first rule was to ban alcohol. This ban applied to an area of about 4 miles around the university. Many people in Evanston worked at the university, so this rule was popular. As Evanston grew, people supported alcohol control to keep the town peaceful.
A New Headquarters Building
Frances Willard passed away in 1898. She left her house to the WCTU. In 1900, the WCTU officially moved its main office from Chicago to Evanston. An addition was built onto Willard's old house in 1904. This addition was used to print The Union Signal and The Young Crusader, which were WCTU newspapers.
After almost ten years in Willard's house, the group decided they needed a new building. The WCTU Printing House was built behind Willard's property in 1910. This new building, also called the Literature Building, helped the WCTU print even more materials. In 1913, the WCTU joined forces with other groups to push for laws making alcohol illegal.
A fundraiser in 1915 raised enough money for an addition to the building. This allowed for more offices. Because of this, the building was renamed the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Administration Building.
Success and Continued Work
In 1919, the WCTU's efforts paid off. The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed, making alcohol illegal across the country. The Nineteenth Amendment followed in 1920, giving women the right to vote.
Even after prohibition ended in 1933, the WCTU continued its work. They kept encouraging people to avoid alcohol. They also promoted local laws to ban alcohol. In 1938, a library was added to the building to honor Frances Willard. By 1951, the WCTU had over 250,000 members. The WCTU still uses this building as its national headquarters today.
