The Woman's Club of Evanston is a group of over 400 women from the North Shore and Chicago who raise money for the community and provide entertainment and education for the members. Last year, the Club contributed over $100,000 and several thousand volunteer hours to social service agencies, many of which are devoted to women and children.

The club was formed in 1889 when Mrs. Elizabeth Boynton Harbert, Ph.D. invited 20 friends to her home in Evanston. Susan B. Anthony and Jane Addams were among the first notable speakers at the club. Social reformer, Frances Willard, was a member and served on the early Board of Directors.

The clubhouse cornerstone was laid in 1912. Its doors were opened in 1913, thanks largely to the work of one member, Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, chair of the Building Committee and wife of the noted Northwestern University geologist. Former Mayor of Evanston, Mr. James A. Patten, agreed to fund a third of the building cost if the women came up with the rest. They did just that. Property was purchased from Northwestern University, which is two blocks away.

One of the Club's first projects was an Emergency Hospital. At the turn of the century, the city of Evanston was just 28 years old, and people had to take a horse and buggy all the way to Cook County Hospital in downtown Chicago. Many died along the way. The Woman's Club rented a house for typhoid and small pox victims and raised $3600. This became the nucleus for Evanston Hospital.

The club celebrated 100 years of community service in 1989.

Click here to take a look at the club's 2005-2006 Annual Report.

Click below to read an Evanston Review article about the club's historic status:

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