Eight Norwich ladies came together in 1907 why you might ask?
To form the Norwich Women's Club that we all know today.
Take a step back in history to find out how and why the Norwich Women’s club came to be. After you read that you can click the links to participate in the Norwich Women’s club silent auction, and if you are really having some fun doing that, you might also want to click the link to see how else you can support them. They do a lot for the community and could use the extra help.
This spring we'll be sharing online bits and pieces from our current exhibition: Norwich Women Crafting the Future for those who might not be venturing out. Here's our first post--a timely post celebrating the Norwich Women's Club.
Norwich Women Crafting the Future
The Norwich Women's Club
With hats donned and sewing materials in hand....
In 1907, spurred by a thirst for knowledge, a desire for self-improvement, and companionship, eight Norwich ladies came together to found the Norwich Woman’s Literary Club. By fall, the club was in full swing. With hats donned and gloves and sewing materials in hand, the ladies met bi-monthly during the academic year at the newly built Norwich library. In 1912, the club voted to join the Vermont Federation of Women’s Clubs and became the Norwich Women’s Club. The Norwich Women's Club has been contributing to our community ever since. Here they are in the early 1920s:
Dues, which were initially set at 25 cents, and money-earning projects such as the April 4, 1914 vote that “each member earn $1 and turn the same into the treasurer,” as well as plays such as the one depicted here, helped offset expenses and gave the club monies to return to the community. Early activities focused on woman’s suffrage, schoolhouse improvements and World War I efforts.
Today the club continues to support education and special school projects. It has provided over $750,000 in scholarships, funded through the Nearly New Sale, to Norwich students furthering their education, and the club is one of the largest non-profit donors to the Vermont Student Assistant Corp.
For many years the monies raised by the Spring Gala and private donations have provided funding for community projects including:
Support of the town and school libraries
Town beautification
Improvements to the Bill Ballard Trail
Benches and tables at Tracy Hall
Preservation of old town grave markers
Refurbishment of the Lewis House, the home of the Norwich Historical Society
Norwich Historical Society's summer interns
...and many more
Through the Women’s Club, Norwich women have carried on a 200-year tradition of responding to the present and crafting the future.
As many of you may know, this year's Spring Gala has been canceled due to the outbreak of Covid-19. You can still support this important community fundraiser by participating in the silent auction.
The entire auction catalog - more than 200 items! - is now available online through March 20th at 9pm.
Click here to go to the Women's Club Auction
Enjoying our digital history? Support our work by becoming a member.
Memberships begin at $15.
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Norwich Historical Society · P. O. Box 1680 · 277 Main Street · Norwich, VT 05055 · USA
