Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

No physical characteristics affect use of this material.

Preferred Citation

Purcellville Woman's Club (M 046), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Unknown

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2007.0177X

Processing Information

Processed by Emily Hershman, 26 May 2009.

Historical Information

Originally founded as a Mother's Club for household advice in 1909, the Purcellville Woman's Club's earliest recorded meetings date from 1922. The Club's motto states: "United we stand for God and humanity." While it maintained its independence from the National Women's Club Federation, the Purcellville Woman's Club briefly became a member of the Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs in 1922, withdrawing between 1926 and 1928. In her historical sketch of the organization, Mildred Pattullo (b. 1910) notes that while the Club was "in and out several times" of the National and Virginia Women's Club Federations, its members decided that it should remain under local management. Since its inception, the Purcellville Woman's Club has supported local activities and initiatives including recreational sites, anti-littering campaigns, and fundraisers such as bake sales and fashion shows. In 1989, the Club began sponsoring a $500 scholarship, which is offered each year to a qualified member of the Loudoun Valley High School Keyettes Club. This annual scholarship fund is a project that espouses the Club's ideals of volunteerism and service. As of 2009, the Purcellville Woman's Club remains active, frequently participating in holiday events to assist the elderly and other members of the community.

Scope and Content

The Purcellville Woman's Club collection contains photocopies of monthly programs and lists of officers and committee members from 1922 through 1960, as well as photocopied photograph of Club members at the 1937 Sun Bonnet Parade in Purcellville. Minutes from the years 1927, 1928, 1941, and 1945 are not included in this collection. "An Incomplete History of Purcellville Woman's Club," written by Mildred Pattullo for the eightieth anniversary of the Club's founding, is also included.

Records of the Club's meetings, which commence January 1922, indicate programs such as music recitals, arts and crafts activities, humorous readings, and discussion regarding local and national current events. Various topics of debate include an analysis of female characters in the Old and New Testaments, women's contribution to science, laws passed by the Virginia Assembly, women's role in defense operations during the Second World War, the political atmosphere in Britain and the Soviet Union during the War, and whether residents of Washington, D.C. should have the right to vote. The collection concludes with minutes from October 1960.

The Club minutes, photograph, and drafted history are the only items in this collection.

Related Material

None

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Ancestry Library, www.ancestrylibrary.com

Northington, Etta Belle Walker. A History of the Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs: 1907-1957. Richmond: Whittet & Shepperson, 1957. Print.

Purcellville Citizen Update 3 (2009): 3. Print.

Purcellville Woman's Club (M 046), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA

Other Finding Aid

None

Technical Requirements

None