The Woman's Club of Beaumont
Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On January 18, 1895, Mrs. Hal W. Greer hosted a meeting at her home which resulted in the formation of this club. Present were Mrs. Greer's friends Mrs. E. C. Weiss, Mrs. T. A. Lamb, Miss Mary Lamb, and Miss Harriet Ferrand. Through their guidance, the Beaumont Literary Club was organized. On April 24, 1899, as the Woman's Reading Club, it was affiliated with the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs. It was chartered by the state in 1905. In 1908, while plans were being developed for the construction of a clubhouse, the group organized as a Department Club. Existing cultural associations, including the Shakespeare Club and the Matinee Music Club, joined the organization as departments. Completed in 1909, the clubhouse became the center for club activities, which have included art exhibits and Civil Defense preparedness classes. It has been shared with the community through the years for a variety of civic functions and social gatherings. The club name was changed in 1927 to the Woman's Club of Beaumont. Originally a cultural organization, it has become a leader in community development. Many prominent area women, including leaders of the state organization, have been members here. Incise in base: Mrs. Gilbert T. (Viola Joss) Adams - Historian and Researcher
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On January 18, 1895, Mrs. Hal W. Greer and a handful of friends gathered at her Beaumont home and founded what became the Beaumont Literary Club. It affiliated with the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, won a state charter in 1905, and built a clubhouse in 1909 that drew in the Shakespeare and Matinee Music clubs as departments. Renamed the Woman's Club of Beaumont in 1927, it grew from a cultural circle into a force for community development.
Why it matters
The women's club movement gave American women organized public influence over culture and civic life decades before they could vote.
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Related people
- · Mrs. Hal W. Greer
- · Viola Joss Adams
Themes & tags
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