THE MASSILLON WOMAN’S CLUB
The years 1914-1918 were the years of World War I. Massillon women, as others across the country, were gathering to roll bandages, sew, knit, and provide whatever other services the Red Cross needed. Mornings and afternoons, they met in the Massillon Social Club house. It was a real labor of love for the soldiers, and an opportunity for each to meet others from elsewhere in town. The Red Cross profited from their faithful support, and at the same time they enjoyed one another’s company. Genuine comradeship grew so that when the war ended, the women had no intention of giving it up. Thought of organizing a Women’s Club came to mind.
The women were helped in their enterprise by the Chamber of Commerce. They looked forward to establishing a club that would provide mutual benefits to all its members and to foster general social, cultural, and civic activities. Their first regular meeting was in the First Methodist Church, on September 5, 1919, with 400 present. It was then that Mrs. Edna McClymonds Wales and her sister Mrs.
Ruth McClymonds Maitland offered Five Oaks, their family home, as a meeting place. The house had been vacant for nearly seven years. What a joy it must have been to the newly formed Woman’s Club to have their housing problem so comfortably and kindly solved!
THE GIFT
Having experienced five years of success in their new organization and having Mrs. Arvine Wales as their second president, the Massillon Woman’s Club truly felt a windfall had come their way in October, 1924. It was the gift to them of the home of the McClymonds by the McClymonds daughters; it was indeed a loving gift because the house had been their home in their cherished girlhood. A bronze plaque on the wall of the great hall next to the door to the dining room expresses so well the intent in the daughters’ generous and caring gesture.
This home is given to the Massillon Woman’s Club
In loving memory of
J. Walter McClymonds
and Flora Russell McClymonds
by their daughters
Edna McClymonds Wales
and Ruth McClymonds Maitland
“It gives my sister and me great happiness to give you their Home and our home – as a center of community life and thought for the women of Massillon. A place in which every women ; from whatever walk of life she may come, shall feel at home in the truest sense of the word. A place dedicated to service, to splendid comradeship. Which is fostered by working and playing together, and to the pursuit of the fine and enduring things in life - the deepening and the strengthening of the life of the spirit. May it be for you, as it has been for us, a place of love, of inspiration and of peace”
GROWTH OF THE WOMAN’S CLUB
Over the years the Woman’s Club has diligently carried on, being ever mindful of the two stipulations in the deed to Five Oaks. One was that any woman of Massillon should be welcome into membership. Varied ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds are represented in the membership. The second provision was that the women should care for the property or it would revert to the heirs. To fulfill this provision the women experienced the responsibilities of any homeowner, for example, repair, (and sometimes replacement) to the roof, heating system or plumbing; painting, outside and inside; and
general cleaning. At times the care became burdensome, but the women rose to the occasion. They jumped into many money-making projects. In some instances, contributions came from members for a specific purpose.
The early half of the decade 1970-1980, was particularly significant in the story of Five Oaks and the Woman’s Club. In 1973 the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior. The Woman’s Club undertook the major project of pointing the stone of the house and the wall surrounding the property.
Fund raising for the pointing introduced members to some new considerations. Because the project was greater than any previously tackled, it was determined to solicit funds outside the Membership. Involved in the outside approaches were corporations
In the Massillon area. Sadly, some refused because the Woman’s Club did not have a charitable , non-profit designation, which would have allowed contributions to be tax deductible.
In spite of problems encountered, however, final raising of funds for the pointing yielded approximately, $40,000. In addition, some lessons were learned. Any further projects of similar scope would need a wider basis of support. Contributions should be tax-deductible in light of the historic significance of the house, not only to the community but also to the state and to the nation. Because of the age of the structure, larger expenditures could be expected for future preservation and restoration.
Weighing these considerations, the Woman’s’ Club Board studied changes that might be made for future benefit. The decision was made, following legal advise, to go the way of incorporating a separate body. Articles of Incorporation were drawn up and approved in the name of the Massillon Heritage Foundation, Inc. There followed a recommendation by the Board for the transfer of the property to the Foundation. In a mailing, Woman’s Club members were duly informed, and the transfer was approved at an open meeting on March 12, 1976. Since then, responsibility for the preservation of Five Oaks rests with the Foundation.
THE MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION, INC
Taking advantage of the charitable, non profit designation, the Heritage Foundation has a source of income besides membership and tourism. A Federally-Funded Matching Grant that had at first been approved for the Woman’s’ Club was taken over by the Foundation. A community Development Block Grant supplied matching funds, and the Foundation was able to repair and replace copper spouting and renovate the fireplaces and chimneys. Since then, there have been other grants from these two sources, as well as from the Massillon Civic Trust; and the Woman’s Club contributed recently to a rewiring project. Other projects have been ballroom restoration; installation of a fire escape, pigeon control; painting, inside and out; floor refinishing; heating system and plumbing repairs; resetting and replacement of steps and walks; and of course, there is always roof repair.
Promotion of membership in the Foundation has two purposes:
First, it draws into partnership those of the community who have a genuine interest in preservation of the historic past, and in the present instance the architectural treasure of Five Oaks.
Secondly, it provide funds for the projects the Foundation undertakes.
Basically, in the past, reliance has been chiefly on the memberships.
The fact that Five Oaks is on the National Register of Historic Places makes promotion of tourism an important aspect of the Foundation’s responsibilities. It seems almost imperative that Five Oaks be shared with the general public. It is a cause for surprise when a local visitor who has traveled Fourth Street for years and observed the exterior of the house sees the interior for the first time. First time visitors have no idea of the grandeur awaiting them.