Saugatuck Woman's Club
P O Box 909
303 Butler Street
Saugatuck, MI 49453-0909
General Questions: [email protected]
for Rentals:  843 318-0707 or [email protected] 

Our History TIMELINE...

(The first Woman's Club was established in 1866.  The Michigan State Federation of Woman's Club was organized in 1895.)

1904  Ladies met at the home of Hattie Bird on the hill on Allegan Street to form a Reading Club that became the Woman's Club.

1910 The group outgrew meeting in homes.  So the ladies rented the hall upstairs over Koning's Hardware.

1914  The Saugatuck Woman's Club building fund was started with $25 from proceeds of a play given by Mrs. Jay Myers.

1915  The Woman's Club became the largest club in Allegan County.  It was the chief social and literary association in town.

1934  Miss Minnie Breuckman bequeathed her home to the Woman's Club.  The club's library was moved into the donated house.  The first official meeting of the Club year was in the new location (Breuckman's House) on Oct. 5, 1934.  Minnie also gave the lot behind the house to allow the club to build the auditorium after the Woman's Club incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1934.

1935  On September 9 there were 64 members who signed an "official authority to proceed" to build the auditorium at once according to the plans drawn by architect, Mr. Tallmadge.  On September 25 at 4:30 p.m. the ladies had a very simple ceremony to commemorate ground breaking of the building.   The women planned to have a grander ceremony once the building was built and paid off. 

1936  The Club authorized the Board to proceed with the building of the auditorium by borrowing funds. 

1938  The new auditorium was dedicated.

1969  The library outgrew it's space in the Breuckman House and moved into a store front across Butler Street.  Later it outgrew that space and moved into it's present location in Douglas.

1970  The Breuckman's House was used as a historical museum of an earlier Saugatuck.  People donated books, historical objects, and art exhibits.

1980  The club was on the edge of bankruptcy.  There was much discussion about the lack of funds.  A decision was made to rent the Breuckman House as retail space and to rent the auditorium for special events.

1988  The Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck held its first July and August festival in the Saugatuck Woman's Club auditorium.  This year, 2024, marks the 36th year of Chamber Music concerts at the Woman's Club.

2004  The Club celebrated its 100th year with 100 members.

Today the Club offers educational and informative programs and funds and administers two scholarships for local students.  The club also supports local charitable and community organizations, including Christian Neighbors, the library, Lakeshore Women Who Care, and the Historical Society. The Saugatuck Woman's Club looks forward to many more years of continuing its purpose, "the promotion of higher interest of humanity through philanthropic, civil, literary and education work" with the help of the Friends of the Saugatuck Woman's Club, a 501(c)(3). organization.
  

Past Presidents...
1904        Mrs. C. E. Hodge                                  1964-65     Mrs. J. Kettlewell
1905        Mrs. A. Thompson                                1965-67     Mrs. H. Taylor
1906        Mrs. J. B. Zwemer                                 1968           Mrs. J. Bauer
1907        Mrs. A. W. Coates                                  1969-70     Mrs. J. Gorgas
1908-09   Mrs. W. A. Woodworth                       1971-72       Mrs. F. M. Heath
1910-11   Mrs. S. M. Dailey                                   1973-74      Mrs. N. P. Steinberg
1912-13   Mrs. D. A. Heath                                    1975            Mrs. E. Bernard
1914-15   Mrs. E. J. Lybarker                                 1976           Miss F. Thexton
1916-17   Mrs. R. J. Walker                                    1977-78      Mrs. C. G. Sanford
1918-19   Mrs. J. F. Henry                                      1979-80     Miss F. Thexton
1920-21   Mrs. W. H. Allen                                    1981-83      Mrs. J. Greco
1922-23   Mrs. G. W. Goshorn                              1984-86      Mrs. Jane Van Dis
1924-25   Mrs. H. A. Jackson                                 1987-88      Mrs. H. Peters
1926-27   Mrs. E. H. House                                   1989-91       Mrs. A. Dalman
1928-29   Mrs. G. B. Miller                                    1992-93       Mrs. C. G. Sanford
1930-31   Mrs. E. L. Leland                                    1994-96      Mrs. D, A. Langhorst
1932-33   Mrs. W. A. Comey                                   1997-98      Mrs. Jane Van Dis
1934-35   Mrs. A. B. Davis                                       1999-00     Mrs. E. Llassen
1936-37   Mrs. R. E. Madden                                  2001            Mrs. D. B. Houser
1938-39   Mrs. W. J. Wilson                                    2002-03      Mrs. J. Curtis
1940-41   Mrs. Irene Sheridan                              2004-06      Mrs. Joan Phillips
1942-43   Mrs. R. Waddell                                      2007-08      Mrs. Patricia Birkes
1944-45   Mrs. F. H. Wicks                                     2009-11        Mrs. Karen Drongowski
1946-47   Mrs. G. Hoffman                                    2012-13         Mrs. Charlotte Houseman
1948-49   Mrs. L. R. Brady                                     2013-14         Mrs. Cheryl Cunningham
1950-51   Mrs. H. Pierce                                          2015-16        Mrs. Donna St. Andre
1952-53   Mrs. W. B. Carr                                        2017-2018   Mrs. Karen Killackey
1954-55   Mrs. E. Beler                                             2019-2020   Mrs. Patricia Huyge 
1955-56   Mrs. A. O. Bainbridge                             2021-2022    Mrs. Lora Keller 
1958-59   Mrs. J. Edgecomb                                    2023             Mrs. Lora Keller & Mrs. Karen Wessel
1960-61   Mrs. H. Taylor                                          2024             Mrs. Karen Wessel
1962-63   Mrs. E. House