Tickets can be purchased the day of the event or in advance. It will also be an opportunity to learn more about the club, where local women unite for social, cultural and civic activities including a speaker series, annual style show and tea event.
“Ice cream socials were popular when the club started and we thought this would be a nice way to celebrate,” said Chris Zechman, club president. “We’re getting a little more known. There’s been a lot of excitement with the anniversary and we’re always looking for more members.”
Young’s ice cream and other brands will be featured. Games will include cornhole, croquet, Connect Four and others. Commemorative items including prints created by club members will also be for sale, and seating will be available in and outside of the house.
Several raffles will be available such as a limousine filled with balloons people can guess for $1 each for six for $5 with the closest guess winning $50. Another will be for a bottle of 2010 vintage Dom Perignon for $3 each or two for $5, and a third raffle is for a 19th Century dinner for 10 on Nov. 5 at the house and costs $5 a ticket.
The Buchwalter House was built in 1852 and has been under four ownerships, opened to the club in 1922 by Clementine Berry Buchwalter, who was the last resident along with her husband Capt. Edward Buchwalter, who founded the financial institution that evolved into what is now Huntington Bank.
Coming not long after women got the right to vote, it was a bold move for women to have their own club and not ordinary for the time according to Zechman. The house and club have since survived social changes, depressions, wars, floods, fires and most recently a pandemic and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We’re very proud of that,” said Zechman.
Kim Buchwalter is active with the club, having married a great, great grand nephews named Ed in tribute to Edward Lyon Buchwalter IV. She’s particularly involved with the ongoing home restoration, helping acquire period-appropriate furniture, including one of Edward’s desks when he served in a position of power, along with other items last year her family had.
“I’ve always liked genealogy. We’ve gotten a lot of pieces donated by the family,” said Buchwalter.
Clementine’s study and one upstairs bedroom is completed and another is in progress. Other recent improvements include a retaining wall to keep water from damaging the foundation.
The Woman’s Town Club is a 501 (c) (3) organization and funds raised through various events go toward maintaining and restoring the house. The house is also available for events such as parties or meetings.
“We still have a long way to go,” Buchwalter said.
The club’s next event is its speaker series and will feature attorney Larry Hofbauer at 11 a.m. July 17. Reservations are required and the cost is $30 and includes lunch and desert.
The annual style show will be Oct. 1 and the annual holiday tea will be in December. Both will tie into the 100th anniversary celebrations.
For more information on the events or the club, go to www.womanstownclub.com/home.
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