Woman's Building
Tyler, Smith County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Woman's Building Association, a branch of the Tyler Woman's Forum, was chartered in 1928 to direct the construction of this facility. When completed in 1932, it provided meeting rooms, an auditorium, and a library for the Woman's Forum and other civic organizations in Tyler. Reflective of the Federal style of architecture, the building features multilight windows, two-story Doric columns, and an elliptical arch of cast stone over the main entry. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1928 as a branch of the Tyler Woman's Forum, the Woman's Building Association raised this Federal-style hall, completed in 1932 with meeting rooms, an auditorium, and a library. Its Doric columns and cast-stone entry arch announced a permanent civic home for women's clubs at a moment when organized women were shaping public life. The building served the Forum and other civic groups as a hub of community activity.
Why it matters
It stands for the clubwoman movement of the early twentieth century, when women built their own institutions and claimed a public role in American civic and cultural life.
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Themes & tags
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