History of the Des Moines Women’s Club
You may look at digital records of the club at Iowaheritage.org. Use the advanced search function to limit your search to the Des Moines Women’s Club Archives Collection.
It all started when…
In 1885, five indomitable, foresighted women, their bustles in place, met in the old Plymouth Congregational Church, 5th & Grand Avenue, to form what is now the Des Moines Women’s Club. At that time, the population of Des Moines was 22,000. Horses and buggies were the mode of conveyance, and streets were dusty, dirty, and deep in mud in the wet seasons.
The club met in various places in the city: Central Christian Church, K.C. & Good Templars Halls, Yeoman Hall, the Savery Hotel, the Women’s Exchange, and the YMCA (where they had the use of the stairs, all of the 5th floor, the elevator, and the restrooms). In 1894, there were 136 members. Dues were $2 a year.
Since its early years, the Des Moines Women’s Club has provided strong support for the arts in central Iowa. In 1888, the club committed itself to establish and maintain an art gallery for the city. Members voted to start a fund for an art collection. In 1893, the first artwork was purchased for the club.
The City of Des Moines rented Hoyt Sherman to the Des Moines Women’s Club in 1907 with the promise the women would build an additional auditorium. In October 1907, on a beautiful warm day, the Des Moines Women’s Club held its first meeting at Hoyt Sherman Place. The clubwomen sat on the front steps because the inside of the house was being renovated and restored. The women were proud and thrilled to be in possession of a clubhouse at last.
The club fulfilled its promise. In 1923, the club built $10,000 addition and an art gallery to house a gift from the Byers family. That same year the club also completed construction of a 1,400-seat auditorium designed to showcase weekly club programs and provide a venue to bring nationally known speakers and entertainers to Des Moines.
The club opened its art gallery in Hoyt Sherman Place and began sponsoring an exhibition of central Iowa paintings. For many years the winning painting was added to the club’s collection. The Women’s Club Art Exhibition is the oldest art competition in Iowa. The art gallery wing also served as a meeting room for the club.
1977 Hoyt Sherman Place was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1994, the club formed the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation as a separate, nonprofit entity to administer, maintain, and preserve Hoyt Sherman Place.
The club continues to serve the Des Moines community by providing scholarships, holding an annual Art Exhibition, and supporting the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation in its efforts to preserve and enhance Hoyt Sherman Place. Members are proud of the many contributions our club has made to the community throughout its long history.
In 2018, the Club voted to support the Hoyt Sherman’s Capital Campaign by donating $100,000.
On March 29, 2023 The Des Moines Women’s Club and Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation will honor the past and celebrate the future by hosting an event titled Once Upon this Stage to celebrate 100 years of the Hoyt Sherman Place Theater.
