Philomathean Clubhouse

The Philomathean Clubhouse, at 1000 N. Hunter St. in Stockton, California, served the Philomathean Club, a women's club. Its building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.[1]

Philomathean Clubhouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	1000 N. Hunter St., Stockton, California
Coordinates	37°57′47″N 121°17′28″W
Area	less than one acre
Built by	William E. Wood
Architectural style	Craftsman
NRHP reference No.	08001278[1]
Added to NRHP	January 5, 2009

The two-story building was built during 1911-12 by local contractor William E. Wood. It is Craftsman in style.[2] On February 9, 1912, the women's club began meeting in the clubhouse.[3] The clubhouse includes an upstairs lecture hall, which also served as a ballroom. The lower level housed a kitchen and meeting rooms.[3] Historic photographs at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library, show finely dressed Stocktonians on the front porch of the clubhouse in the 1930s.[4]

The Philomathean Club grew from a reading club started by nine women in 1893. The club was formally organized eventually, and joined the California Federation of Women's Clubs in 1900. It met in various venues including the public library, the Yosemite Theatre, the Elks Hall and the Hotel Stockton. It grew to have more than 300 women members in 1910, when it began a process to build its own building. The club chose to quit the California Federation of Women's Clubs in 1943 but continued to operate and contribute to Stockton.[2] In 1982, the membership wished to retain control over its building so it voted not to be included in Stockton's Magnolia Historical District.  Following the Philomathean Club's decision, there were several break-ins at the clubhouse. At the same time, maintenance costs grew and membership diminished.[3] In 2000, the City of Stockton purchased the building for $25,000, and then in 2013 it was sold again to a foundation planning to refurbish it.[5] The Philomathean Club celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006.[2]

The term philomath refers to "a lover of learning."[6]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. Alice van Ommeren; Marv Jo Gohkle (August 7, 2008). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Philomathean Clubhouse / Philomathean Club". National Park Service. Retrieved October 3, 2019. With accompanying pictures
3. "Finding aid of the Philomathean Club Records". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
4. Martin, Van (2017-09-11). "Stockton - Clubs: Group Portrait of Stockton Philomathean Society". Historic Stockton Photographs.
5. Writer, Roger PhillipsRecord Staff. "Philomathean Clubhouse needs repairs". recordnet.com. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
6. "Philomath | Definition of Philomath by Lexico". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Retrieved 2019-10-11.

[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in San Joaquin County, California]]