When the Women’s Civic Club of Stone Harbor held its annual opening event on May 19, members of the Stone Harbor Museum marked the occasion by presenting the Club with a vintage plaque honoring the building’s rich history.
The Stone Harbor Museum aims to preserve the town’s rich and unique past through the “Vintage Houses of Stone Harbor” program. Houses constructed 60 years ago or earlier are eligible to apply for a plaque.
“The program is how a small town decides to remember itself on purpose, before the buildings are gone,” said Museum Curator Katie Hinchey-Wise. “We lose antique treasures here all the time, and the Vintage Houses program is the only historical-designation effort in Stone Harbor. It gives anyone who cares about preservation a real place to begin.”
The plaque dedicated to the Women’s Civic Club building recognizes the enduring legacy of the resilient members, as the original clubhouse was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1962, and the organization saw it entirely rebuilt by 1963.
“The plaque on this clubhouse is special because the building behind it was taken down by a storm and rebuilt smaller,” Hinchey-Wise said. “So often we watch buildings in our community come down that are absolute antique treasures. A plaque is how we say this one stays in the story. It marks the building, but it points to the women who bought the lots, refused to leave the beach, and rebuilt twice.”
The opening event itself celebrated this history with a luncheon that included a display of WCCSH artifacts provided by the museum and a fascinating presentation that outlined the early history of the Women’s Civic Club. The gathering also featured the presentation of $2,500 donations each to the Holy Redeemer Food Pantry and Shriners Hospital, and a special appearance by Mayor Tim Carney.
If you would like to learn more about the Women’s Civic Club of Stone Harbor, the Stone Harbor Museum is hosting a talk to discuss its incredible history on July 1 at 7pm.
Photo caption: Posing with Stone Harbor Women’s Civic Club plaque (from left): Katie Hinchey-Wise, Teri Fisher, Mayor Tim Carney |
