About the Woman's Club of Starke

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 and 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 relocated to a different site, the Woman’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 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.