Woman's Club of Olympia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Woman's Club
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 Location in Washington (state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1002 Washington Street SE, Olympia, Washington |
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| Built | 1908 |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002565 |
| Added to NRHP | June 15, 1979 |
The Woman's Club of Olympia is a very old and important group that started in Olympia, Washington, United States, way back in 1883. It is one of the oldest woman's clubs on the West Coast. A woman's club is a group where women come together to learn, help their community, and support each other.
Many amazing women helped start this club. Some of the founding members included Mehitable Elder, Pamela Case Hale, Mary Hartsock, Janet Moore, Phebe Moore, Mary Shelton, Ella Stork, Abbie Howard Hunt Stuart, and Sarah E. Whitney. The first president was Mrs. A.H.H. (Abbie Howard Hunt) Stewart. She was a college graduate and had been part of a Woman's Club in Boston. People called her the "Mother of Women's Clubs" because she helped start other clubs too. She was a very strong leader for the Olympia club.
Helping Start the Public Library
One of the most important things the Woman's Club did early on was to run Olympia's only library. They managed this library from 1896 to 1909.
After that, they helped the city get a special grant from Andrew Carnegie to build a public library. Andrew Carnegie was a very rich businessman who gave money to build many libraries across the country. In 1903, the club helped get a grant of $25,000. This money came with rules, like the community also had to help. This led to the building of the Olympia Public Library in 1914. When the club handed over the library to the city in 1909, it had 900 books!
The Club Today
As of 2018, the Woman's Club of Olympia is still active and helping its community. It is part of a larger group called the General Federation of Women's Clubs. This means it connects with many other women's clubs across the country.
The Club Building
The current building for the Woman's Club of Olympia was built in 1908. Before this, the club had bought an older building in 1900. Sadly, that first clubhouse was destroyed by a fire in 1907.
After the fire, the club members worked hard to raise money for a new building. They collected $2,500, which was a lot of money back then! The building they constructed is a three-story building with a hipped roof. It measures about 53 by 55 feet (16 by 17 meters). This building is also known as the Abigail Stuart House, named after the club's first president.
Because of its history and importance, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it is recognized as a special place that should be protected.
