Dear Senator Perry and Representative Yvonne Hinson,

RE: Appropriations Request for Gainesville Woman’s Club

In 1903, twenty women in Gainesville formed the Gainesville Woman’s Club.  For their first task they pooled their yearly dues of fifty cents each and began a borrower’s library for the town.  In 1917, these same women petitioned the Carnegie Foundation and secured funds to erect the community’s first permanent library.  From these initial efforts, the Gainesville Woman’s Club has amassed a staggering list of contributions of money and volunteer work for the betterment of our community.

These women not only worked for the community, but they raised money to build their own clubhouse.  The first was built in 1921 and the second, at our present location on University Avenue, in 1960.  This 5000 square foot clubhouse sits on five acres and is home to a magnificent Heritage Oak Tree. In November 2021 the clubhouse received a historic marker celebrating its 100 years as a clubhouse for the community.  This clubhouse not only serves as a meeting place for club women, but also a meeting and event space for the community.  Generations of families have celebrated weddings, birthdays, and life events at the clubhouse. The clubhouse hosts fundraising events for many nonprofits. Our neighbor, the University of Florida, holds meetings at our clubhouse.  Every fall local Boy Scout troops park hundreds of cars at the clubhouse for University of Florida home football games. This year alone the troops raised $15,000 to support local scouting activities. 

The Woman’s Club has submitted a House and Senate appropriations request to help provide needed renovations to our 60-year-old building.  We are facing major renovations including a new roof, air conditioner, renovating our kitchen, and bringing all aspects of the building up to current building codes.

We, as members of the Gainesville Woman’s Club, are asking for your support for this appropriations request to preserve this piece of history for community for many years to come. We thank you for your support.

Sincerely yours,

Karin L. Jeter

President, Gainesville Womans Club