Lend-A-Hand Club
Encyclopedia
The Lend-A-Hand Club was located in downtown Davenport, Iowa
, United States
along the riverfront. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983, and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1997.
Initially it occupied various downtown locations that it rented. When it was housed in a department store it offered rest and reading rooms. When it moved to larger facilities it expanded to a cafeteria, reading rooms, parlor, shower and bath, laundry, arts and crafts and a gymnasium. It also provided a lecture series on various women’s topics. The Lend-A-Hand Club was the city’s main woman’s service facility and usurped any potential for the YWCA
to establish itself in Davenport.
Money was raised and in 1922 a permanent location was secured and a building was constructed along South Main Street opposite the Dillon Memorial
. The facility contained dormitory rooms, a lounge, cafeteria, and a swimming pool. The building closed as a woman’s facility in the 1960s. It was rented to the city of Davenport who converted it to elderly housing in 1973. A new building was constructed for the elderly at Third and Ripley Streets in the late 1980s and the Lend-A-Hand building was torn down in 1990.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
along the riverfront. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983, and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1997.
History
The Lend-A-Hand Club was established in Davenport in 1886 as a chapter of the King’s Daughters Organization. It became an affiliate of the national network of Lend-A-Hand Clubs. The club was a place for young women who lived and worked away from home to associate in a safe environment.Initially it occupied various downtown locations that it rented. When it was housed in a department store it offered rest and reading rooms. When it moved to larger facilities it expanded to a cafeteria, reading rooms, parlor, shower and bath, laundry, arts and crafts and a gymnasium. It also provided a lecture series on various women’s topics. The Lend-A-Hand Club was the city’s main woman’s service facility and usurped any potential for the YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
to establish itself in Davenport.
Money was raised and in 1922 a permanent location was secured and a building was constructed along South Main Street opposite the Dillon Memorial
Dillon Memorial
The Dillon Memorial is located in LeClaire Park, near downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1993...
. The facility contained dormitory rooms, a lounge, cafeteria, and a swimming pool. The building closed as a woman’s facility in the 1960s. It was rented to the city of Davenport who converted it to elderly housing in 1973. A new building was constructed for the elderly at Third and Ripley Streets in the late 1980s and the Lend-A-Hand building was torn down in 1990.
See also
Other buildings designed by Frederick G. Clausen:- Davenport CrematoriumDavenport CrematoriumThe Davenport Crematorium is located in Fairmont Cemetery in the West End of Davenport, Iowa, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The facility opened in 1891 and the first cremation was that of Otto Kochert. It is the ninth oldest crematorium still in existence in...
- Hibernia HallHibernia HallThe Hibernia Hall is a Romanesque Revival building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
- Hillside MansionHillside (Davenport, Iowa)Hillside, is a mansion overlooking the Mississippi River on the eastside of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982 and the Davenport Register of Historic Properties since 1992. It is also a part of the Prospect Park Historic...
- J.H.C. Petersen's Sons' StoreJ.H.C. Petersen's Sons' StoreThe J.H.C. Petersen's Sons' Store also known as the Redstone Building, is a four-story building in Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties and on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed after the Rookery Building in Chicago, this...