Houston Heights Woman's Club

Houston Heights Woman's Club

The building's exterior in 2016
Location 1846 Harvard St., Houston, Texas
Coordinates 29°48′13″N 95°23′47″W / 29.803677°N 95.396438°W / 29.803677; -95.396438Coordinates: 29°48′13″N 95°23′47″W / 29.803677°N 95.396438°W / 29.803677; -95.396438
MPS Houston Heights MRA
NRHP Reference # 83004463[1]
RTHL # 16745
Significant dates
Added to NRHP June 22, 1983
Designated RTHL 2011

The Houston Heights Woman's Club, founded in 1900 in the Houston Heights neighborhood of Houston, Texas, provides meetings for women in the Houston Heights neighborhood to network and socialize. The club hosts events such as a book club, arts and crafts meetings, and more. The club's primary motto since the origin of the club is "Seek wisdom, and strive to do good."[2]

The club's "clubhouse", located at 1846 Harvard Street in Houston, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1983.[3][4][5]

History

Signage above the door

The Houston Heights Woman's Club was started in 1900 by women of the Houston Heights community as well as by their original leader Mrs. C. R. Cummings. The first ever meeting of the club was on January 15, 1900, in the home of Mrs. C. R. Cummings. The original 16 women who held the first meeting of the club were inspired to start the club by a trend of clubs that was sweeping the nation. The club they aimed to start was originally just a simple women's book club, but grew into much more.[6]

In the winter of 1905, the club agreed to a constitution and set of by-laws. Part of the new agreement was to "aid and encourage charitable and educational interests of Houston Heights." Throughout the history of the club, some of the charitable acts included work during World War I and World War II for the Red Cross and creating a Heights Library at the local high school.

In 1911, the club had begun to branch out into activities other than literacy and began to be known as the Houston Heights Woman's Club. The branching out of the club plus a growth in membership caused the club's leader to recognize the need for a larger space or "clubhouse."[7]

In 1912, the Houston Heights Literary Club outgrew its original meeting place and moved to its new headquarters. These new headquarters are located at 1846 Harvard Street, in the Houston Heights. The women of the club raised $1,500 for the house and paid the same amount for the grand piano inside.[8] The members of the club call the headquarters the "clubhouse" and use the same Harvard Street location today.[9]

President Year Notable work
Mrs. C. R. Cummings 1900–Unknown Mrs. C. R. Cummings was the first president of the club and she also was one of the main founder of the club.
Kate McKinney Unknown–1905 Kate McKinney helped to collect funds for a new clubhouse and wrote material about the club.
Pearl Dexter 1905–Unknown Pearl Dexter pushed the club to create the Houston High school Library as well as raised funds for and helped purchase the Harvard st. clubhouse.
Mrs. A. B. Sheldon during World War I Mrs. A. B. Sheldon led the club through their plan to help the soldiers of World War I by creating bandages for them during through the Red Cross.
Mildred Grambling Dupuis 1951–1953 Mildred Grambling Dupuis was recognized for winning the award of "Outstanding Pharmacist" in 1938 as well as for being one of the first women in the state of Texas to become a pharmacist.[10]
Mrs. O. F. Carroll Unknown Mrs. O. F. Carroll pushed the club to remember their original purpose of literature, and helped collect money and books for the new Houston Public Library on Heights Boulevard.
Shea Hill Unknown–Present Shea Hill has created a drive for the local public school students who can not afford new uniforms.

Membership

The annual fee for being a member of the club is one-hundred dollars in cash/check or online payment for one-hundred and three dollars. There is no requirement to be a woman or a member of the Heights community, but the majority of the members are female and live in the Heights community and many events and activities are aimed towards women of the community.[11]

Achievements

Achievement Year Description
Work With the Red Cross World War I The HHWC worked with the Red Cross to help during the World War I by taking in soldiers and creating bandages to send to the troops
Creation of The Houston Heights High School Library 1905 This Achievement helped to raise funds and build the new library for the community.
Donation to the Houston Public Library on Heights Boulevard 1926 The woman of the club raised money and books for the new library that had opened in the Heights neighborhood.
Assistance in the Creation of the Houston Public Library outdoor reading area [12] 1939 The woman of the club got back to what they thought was most powerful, literature. They decided to help the new library build a reading area outside.
Assistance to the Red Cross World War II (1943- 1944) A large group of 2,669 people (members and community volunteers) worked tirelessly to provide 1,176,699 surgical bandages to the wounded soldiers during the second World War.
Created the Women's Studies Library Initiative [13] Present The campaign is worked on in multiple libraries throughout the Heights and includes a collection of books of Women's studies.
Helped Regan High School Prom 2012 The HHWC helped Regan high school students in need. Many of the Kids could not afford what they needed to go to their Senior prom, the HHWC helped out by collecting and giving out dresses, tuxedos, accessories, and more.
School Uniform Drive [14] Present Schools such as Hogg Middle School, Browning Elementary, Hamilton Middle School, Reagan High School, Field Elementary, Love Elementary, Harvard Elementary, Helms Elementary are being asked to help bring in new or slightly worn uniforms, these collections will benefit the needy students at the participating Heights schools.
Star of Hope Toiletry Bags [15] Present The women in the Houston Heights Woman's Club have been creating toiletry bags containing things like toothpaste, soap, etc. All the toiletry bags created by the women of the club go to the impoverished woman and the Houston Star of Hope Organization.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club Home". Houston Heights Woman's Club. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "National Register Listings" (PDF). Texas Historical Commission. p. 47. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club Historical Marker". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  5. ↑ Houston Heights Association (April 1981). Lee Johnson; Peter Flagg Maxson, eds. "Houston Heights Multiple Resource Area" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ http://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/heights-womans-club.pdf
  7. ↑ Chapman, Betty T. "Houston woman's club raised group's mission, goals to new Heights". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  8. ↑ Sister M. Agatha (1956). "V: Clubs – Social Service Organizations – Lodges". The History of Houston Heights, 1891–1918.
  9. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club History". Houston Heights Woman's Club. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  10. ↑ Anne Sloan (2009). Houston Heights. Arcadia Publishing. p. 100.
  11. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club Membership". Houston Heights Woman's Club. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Houston History Magazine Houston Heights Woman's Club" (PDF). Houston History Magazine. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  13. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club". Houston Heights Woman's Club. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  14. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club School Uniform Drive". Houston Heights Woman's Club. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "Houston Heights Woman's Club Star of Hope". Houston Heights Woman's Club. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
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