Woman's Club of Olympia

The Woman's Club of Olympia was founded in Olympia, Washington, United States, in 1883. It is one of the oldest woman's club on the West Coast. 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.^[2] Its first president, Mrs. A.H.H. (Abbie Howard Hunt) Stewart, a college graduate and a veteran of the Women's Club in Boston, was a "driving force" in the club's organization and was known as the "Mother of Women's Clubs" for having founded other clubs, too.^[3]

Woman's Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	1002 Washington Street SE, Olympia, Washington
Coordinates	47.039722°N 122.898056°W / 47.039722; -122.898056
Built	1908
NRHP reference No.	79002565[1]
Added to NRHP	June 15, 1979

Of note was the club's early operation of Olympia's only library facility from 1896–1909 and subsequent assistance obtaining a Carnegie Library grant for a public library.^[2] A grant of $25,000 was obtained in 1903, which like other Carnegie grants included requirements for the local community to meet, and led to the building in 1914 of the Olympia Public Library. The library had 900 books when it was turned over to the city to operate in 1909.^[4]

As of 2018^[update] the club is still active.^[5] It is a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.^[6]

Building

The Woman's Club of Olympia was built in 1908.^[6] It replaced the original clubhouse purchased in 1900 that was destroyed by fire in 1907.^[2] Members raised $2,500 for the new clubhouse.^[2] The current building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as Woman's Club.^[1] It is a three-story hipped roof building, 53 by 55 feet (16 m × 17 m) in plan.^[3] It is also known as the Abigail Stuart House.^[6]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. "Woman's Club of Olympia". Washington State Historical Society. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
3. Shanna Stevenson; J.H. Vandermeer (1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Women's Club / Women's Club of Olympia". National Park Service. Retrieved October 30, 2018. With accompanying two photos from 1979
4. J.H. Vanderveer (July 1981). "Community Cultural Resource Survey: Olympia Public Library / Carnegie's". National Park Service. Retrieved October 30, 2018. With accompanying photo from 1981 Note the photo documentation includes mention of the 1903 date of Carnegie grant, consistent with other information on Carnegie libraries in Washington.
5. Clayton, Alec (16 March 2018). "Woman's Club of Olympia Celebrates 135th Anniversary". Oly Arts. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
6. "Woman's Club of Olympia". Woman's Club of Olympia. Retrieved 30 October 2018.