A MONUMENT ON THE BAY

On the edge of Biscayne Bay, just north of downtown Miami, stands the landmark home of TMWC. The iconic building was designed by August Geiger and constructed by F. H. Foster for TMWC.  At its grand opening in 1926, it was considered “the largest and most elaborate Woman’s Club building in the South and perhaps in the nation.”  It was originally named the Flagler Memorial Library and Club House, after Henry M. Flagler. The industrialist, who was a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida, also generously gifted the Woman’s Club with land in downtown to build their first library and Club House in 1913 (see Our Proud History).  The four-story Mediterranean Revival structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the most significant structures of its kind in South Florida. The building features a garden courtyard, decorative ironwork, arched windows, and a porte cochere. Inside, there is an auditorium, a library, banquet and meeting rooms, a formal lobby, elegant decorative fixtures, and ornamental chandeliers.  For many decades, the facility served both TMWC and the community as a civic and social meeting place and as the city’s main library until 1937.  The Miami Conservatory of Music was housed in the club for 10 years. A permanent art gallery of national and international artists was maintained in the building, and annual school exhibits were displayed. In World War II, a portion of the building was given to the Dade County Red Cross for producing medical supplies. Luncheons and dinners held at the club often featured state dignitaries, national leaders, and international figures.  The original structure of the building largely remains intact, although the facility underwent major refurbishments in 1950 and in the late 1970s.