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 special group that helps its community. It was started in Olympia, Washington, in 1883. This makes it one of the oldest clubs for women on the West Coast of the United States.
Many important women helped create this club. Some of the first members were Mehitable Elder, Pamela Case Hale, and Mary Hartsock. The club's first president was Mrs. A.H.H. (Abbie Howard Hunt) Stewart. She had gone to college and was already part of a Women's Club in Boston. Mrs. Stewart was a big reason the club started. People even called her the "Mother of Women's Clubs" because she helped start other clubs too!
One of the club's most important early projects was running Olympia's only library. They managed the library from 1896 to 1909. After that, they helped the city get money from a program called the Carnegie Library grant. This grant, given in 1903, helped build a public library. The new Olympia Public Library opened in 1914. When the club handed over the library to the city in 1909, it had 900 books.
As of 2018, the Woman's Club of Olympia is still active. It is part of a larger group called the General Federation of Women's Clubs.
The Club's Building
The current building for the Woman's Club of Olympia was built in 1908. Before this, the club had bought an older clubhouse in 1900. Sadly, that first building was destroyed by a fire in 1907.
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 built is still standing today. It has three stories and a special kind of roof called a hipped roof. The building is about 53 feet by 55 feet in size.
In 1979, this building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site. It is officially known as the Woman's Club on the list. Sometimes, people also call it the Abigail Stuart House to honor the club's first president.
