Clubhouse of Woman's Club of El Paso

Located at 1400 N. Mesa Ave, this building houses the Woman's Club of El Paso. Designed by Otto H. Thorman and built by H. G. Ponsford in 1916, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s. The Woman's Club itself started in 1894. The intention of the women was to bring culture and the arts to this wild and wooly town. For example, they established the first kindergarten, fought for the pure food laws and city sanitation and they maintained soup kitchens during the Great Depression. They held the first art show, first flower show and first fashion show in the city. Today, the Club still exists and dedicates its work to the preservation of the historic Clubhouse, the improvement of conditions for women and the enhancement of the quality of life in its community.

Area: Central / El Paso High

Source: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library. Collection Name: MS576 Woman's Club of El Paso. Photo ID: Thorman.

Uploaded by: UTEP Library Special Collections