Woman's Club Garden

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Dedication

Punta Gorda Garden Club, Inc.

PRESS RELEASE

Punta Gorda Woman’s Club Recognizes Punta Gorda Garden Club

To celebrate Earth Day 2008, the Punta Gorda Woman's Club recognized the Punta Gorda Garden Club with a dedication ceremony for the garden that the club restored beside the building at 118 Sullivan St., Punta Gorda. A plaque was presented to Garden Club President Carolyn Honour in acknowledgment of club members’ hard work that began with the removal of weeds, grass, and rocks from the previous garden that had been severely damaged by Hurricane Charley in 2004. The restoration began during Past President Donna Saulnier’s administration, which had as its theme "Let’s Have Fun and Learn." President Honour commented that club members did have fun and learn as they worked together to revitalize the garden They planted a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and small plants to share with the community. Many of the trees were donated by Garden Club members to honor loved ones and a large number of the new plantings were propagated from cuttings taken from club members’ own yards.

The lush and colorful "Quiet Garden" provides a peaceful oasis just around the corner of the Punta Gorda downtown business district.

 

SUGGESTED PHOTO CAPTION (if you use the photo along with the article)

Pictured are Historical Society President Nancy Lisby, Woman's Club President Janette Sue Hawley, PGGC President Carolyn Honour, and organizer of the event long time Woman's Club member Helen Wrobble. The memorial garden, which features a number of trees planted in memory of friends and family will be called the "Quiet Garden."

SUGGESTED PHOTO CAPTION (if you use the photo without the article)

To celebrate Earth Day 2008, the Punta Gorda Woman's Club recognized the Punta Gorda Garden Club with a dedication ceremony for the garden that the club restored beside the building at 118 Sullivan St., Punta Gorda. Pictured are Historical Society President Nancy Lisby; Woman's Club President Betty Hawley Janette Sue Hawley; PGGC President ;Carolyn Honour holding the plaque presented to acknowledge the hard work of garden club members; and organizer of the event long time Woman's Club member Helen Wrobbel. The memorial garden, which features a number of trees planted in memory of friends and family, will be called the "Quiet Garden."

 

 

Another Work Day

Compare these pictures with the "After" pictures below.  They were taken Oct. 8, 2006.  What a difference a year makes.

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Garden Renovation

 

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

 

 

 

History
The Punta Gorda Woman's Club
118 Sullivan Street

In 1925, the Punta Gorda Woman's Club consolidated three clubs for women. The Women's Civic Association had undertaken such projects as building the Bath House.  Because members of the Married Ladies Club were required to wear hats and gloves as they engaged in polite conversation at meetings, they were called the "tea drinkers."  The Fortnightly Club was literary and studied Robert Browning, William Shakespeare, and read The Divine Comedy.

Currently on the National Register of Historic Places, the Woman's Club building was constructed in 1927 on land donated by Judge William Fenmore Cooper of Cook County, Illinois.  The Spanish-Mission style parapet, attenuated tiled loggia, and triple-arch entrance closely resemble the Mediterranean Revival architecture of the Punta Gorda Railroad Depot, built the next year. 

Inside, the hall has a 1920s-style footlights stage with painted canvas backdrop.  In the wings are signatures of graduates of Charlotte High School as commencement exercises were held here until the high school auditorium was completed.  It housed the Punta Gorda Public Library until 1957, and during World War II, it served as a USO.

In 2000, the Punta Gorda Woman's Club transferred the deed to the building to the Punta Gorda Historical Society.