2015 Newsletters
The Woman's Club of Starke, formerly known as the
Mother's Club, was founded in the late 19th century and held
its meetings in the Bradford County High School. Their purpose
was to assist the Bradford County High School. Only mothers
were accepted as active members with teachers as honorary
members. One of their earliest projects was furnishing a room
in the school or a library and a study for the principal. They also
provided students with books and clothing and hired a janitor
to do maintenance. In 1913, the Mother's Club reorganized and
changed its name to the Woman's Club of Starke. One year later,
after the school was moved to a different site, the Women's Club
began using the school building as its headquarters. In 1917,
with the approach of World War I, the building was turned over
to the Red Cross. Club women made hospital blankets, Christmas
kits for troops and shipped clothing to allies. In 1921, the
Board of Education gave the school building to Woman's Club at
which time it was remodeled. Some of the lumber from the
original structure was used in the new construction. The new
The Women's Club in 1924 after renovations were completed.
History
Starke's first public school in 1891, Bradford County Highschool, where the Mother's Club held its meetings.
craftsman/bungalow building opened on November 3, 1922. Projects undertaken in the 1920's by the Woman's Club included a drive to remove cows from the streets, development of a city park and municipal suffrage. The Bradford County Library used portions of the building and in 1936 was the first county library in Florda allowed to borrow books from the State Library in Tallahassee. Throughout World War II, the United Service Organization (USO) used the building as a clubhouse where the Army YMCA entertained soldiers who were stationed at nearby Camp Blanding. Opening in April 1941 they provided minstrels, radio programs, quiz games, card games, dances and vaudeville shows for the soldiers. Throughout its history, the Clubhouse has continued to serve as the community's primary facility for social and cultural events. on April 18, 1997, the Clubhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to serve as the Woman's Club of Starke headquarters.