Dedicated in 1942, the Melrose Clubhouse for the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs served as a center for civic and recreational gatherings during an era of strictly enforced segregation. Designated as a historic landmark in 1993, the clubhouse stands today as an important physical reminder of the vital role women’s organizations played in the story of St. Petersburg’s Black community.
Women and Clubs
Initially focused on literary endeavors, self-improvement, or social opportunities, women’s organizations expanded quickly in the 19th century. By the early 20th century, many began to direct their attention to social-welfare issues and reforms such as women’s suffrage. Even though these clubs were almost always separated by race, they could provide all women avenues for political and civic influence in the days before they had any direct access to political power. The passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, seemed to render many white women’s reform-focused clubs less necessary, especially as the progressive era stalled during the booming 1920s. In communities where Jim Crow disenfranchisement still reigned, granting women the vote had little impact on the civil or political landscape; Black people were denied the vote. The local club movement continued to flourish, as women organized in an effort to offer opportunities for education, uplift, and recreation during the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s.
City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs
Local club leaders considered uniting their strength under an umbrella organization. Led by local educator and activist Fannye Ponder and fellow educator Olive B. McLin, the City Federation APRIL 2022 / GREENBENCHMONTHLY.COM 7 of Colored Women’s Clubs (CFCWC) was born in 1938. Soon after its organization, it was affiliated with both the Florida and the National Federations of Colored Women’s Clubs. The local Federation’s goal was clear: Use the united power of its affiliated clubs “to promote better educational advantages, to promote social and civic improvements, establish recreation for young people, and to educate the citizenry towards better and higher standards of living.” Beginning with seven member clubs, it grew quickly to 12. These affiliated clubs provided a steady stream of civic, social, educational, and often entertaining, avenues for Black engagement as well as uplift. For example, in March 1941, the Federation hosted its second annual Coronation Ball. The “musical background for this gay affair was furnished by Fess Clark and the Swingsters.” The Manhattan Casino, decorated to resemble a “royal court,” served as the backdrop for the presentation of the finely dressed “royalty” from each of the member clubs. At the end of the night, a king and queen were crowned based on the amount of money raised for the community, not because of their finery. The CFCWC’s core goals “to promote better educational advantages … social and civic improvements … recreation for young people, and to educate the citizenry towards better and higher standards of living” always remained paramount. Soon after organizing, members began a campaign to construct a clubhouse to provide a safe space for that effort.
Building a Clubhouse
The drive began with the CFCWC, but support for the project expanded beyond the member organizations. The First Congregational Church pledged $1,000 and sponsored a fundraiser. One of its members, Dr. Charles A. Lauffer, donated land and $5,000 “upon the condition … the property shall be improved and used for the educational, social, and recreational facilities for colored people … and for gardening by and for the needy…..” With this foundation in place, the plan for the clubhouse moved forward. In December 1941, the St. Petersburg Times published a rendering by architect Henry Kohler along with a description of the Melrose Park “clubhouse for negroes now under construction.” The paper offered a brief history of the local Federation and a detailed description of the clubhouse: “It was designed to provide adequate facilities for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, YWCA and YMCA groups as well as quarters for club meetings. Three buildings are planned, including facilities for a kindergarten and a day nursery. The clubhouse … will include an auditorium … a stage and six rooms where groups can meet simultaneously.” Melrose Clubhouse Four years after the CFCWF formed, the Melrose Clubhouse (1801 Melrose Ave. S) opened. For many years, the two-story concrete-block facility served as a nexus for club meetings, community gatherings, and service. It housed a wartime nursery for African-American children and provided a space for the Melrose Park YMCA when Jim Crow segregation denied Black men and boys access to the main branch. Eighty years after its dedication, it still holds the memories of the bonds forged and the lives touched by the determination of St. Pete’s Black community as a whole and the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs in particular.
Sources are available on request. The author relied on previous research conducted by Scott Hartzell, the African American Heritage Association of St. Petersburg, and Preserve the ‘Burg. For more information visit afamheritagestpete.org and www.preservetheburg.org.
