The Women's City Club is a women's club located at 2110 Park Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Park Avenue Historic District. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979.

History

Women's organizations This is a list of women's organizations ordered by geography. International * Alliance of Pan American Round Tables – founded 1916 to foster women's relationships throughout the Americas * Arab Feminist Union – founded 1945 * Associated Cou ...

became increasingly influential in the years after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

as a class of highly educated, middle class women arose in the nation.Women’s City Club of Detroit
from Detroit1701.org. Their impact was at its peak in the years around

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, when the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women's suffrage, was ratified. In Detroit, it became apparent at that time that the many women's organizations in the city needed a centralized place to meet.Women's City Club
from the National Park Service. In 1919, a number of local activists founded the "Women's City Club" to "promote a broad acquaintance among women." P. 62. The club hired architect William B. Stratton (husband of ceramicist and club member

Mary Chase Perry Stratton Mary Chase Perry Stratton (March 15, 1867 – April 15, 1961) was an American ceramic artist. She was a co-founder, along with Horace James Caulkins, of Pewabic Pottery, a form of ceramic art used to make architectural tiles. Biography Stra ...

) to design a suitable building; the structure was completed in 1924.

Description

The exterior of the building is built of brick, in a featureless modern style. The six stories are differentiated into the lower three floors, which are blocky and regular; and the three upper floors, which appear to be set onto the lower floors. The brick color differs between the two sections, as does the appearance of the windows. There is also a horizontal range of bricks between the two sections. The lower floors were designed to be meeting spaces for social events and planning the activities of members. The three upper floors were used as an apartments for women who moved to Detroit for employment and wished to live in a wholesome environment. The interior decor was strongly influenced by the then-current Arts and Crafts movement, with hand-wrought ironwork and

Pewabic Pottery Pewabic Pottery is a ceramic studio and school in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1903, the studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Imma ...

tilework. The swimming pool was also decorated with Pewabic tile.

Use

The City Club offered a number of classes and recreation programs for women, eventually enrolling over 8,000 members. However, membership declined after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and in 1974 the club moved to smaller quarters. The social space was used for various purposes, including a restaurant and bar in later years. The building was bought in 1976 by Feminist Economic Network (FEN) and became Feminist City Club until debates about capitalism and access ended the project. The building was owned by Forbes Management until 2017 (also owners of the Elwood Bar,

Gem Theater The Gem Theater was a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota, owned by Al Swearengen. Opening Swearengen opened the Gem Variety Theater on April 7, 1877 at the corners of Wall and Main streets to entertain the population of the mining camp with "priz ...

, and

The Fillmore Detroit The Fillmore Detroit is a multi-use entertainment venue operated by Live Nation. Built in 1925, the Fillmore Detroit was known for most of its history as the State Theatre. It is located near the larger Fox Theatre in the Detroit Theatre Dis ...

), and had received an upgrade of its façade."Women's City Club building on Park Ave. gets facade upgrades"
fropm ModelD, December 19, 2006. Forbes then sold the building an entity tied to Eric Larson and his development company, Larson Realty Group, who then sold it to an entity tied to Ilitch-owned

Olympia Entertainment Olympia Entertainment is an American sports and entertainment company headquartered in the Fox Theatre in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Olympia is a division of Ilitch Holdings, and owned by Marian Ilitch. It owns or manages the Detroit Red Wings, ...

in 2017 for $5.85 million. Olympia Entertainment then announced the building would be renovated as part of the new Olympia development, the "District Detroit".

References

{{National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan Clubhouses in Michigan Women's club buildings Buildings and structures in Detroit Downtown Detroit Clubs and societies in Michigan Organizations based in Detroit Women's clubs in the United States Women in Michigan Buildings and structures completed in 1922 Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Detroit Historic district contributing properties in Michigan