OUR LEGACY
The Dayton Woman’s Club was founded in 1916 and has been serving the community for more than 100 years. The traditions and heritage of our empowered leaders have been passed down to today’s energetic and enthusiastic women and men.
Ohio Historical Marker
The inscription says: “Community leader Robert Steele built the house that became the Dayton Woman’s Club between 1845 and 1850. Napoleon Bonaparte Darst, a wealthy merchant, bought the residence in 1861. After the Civil War, he refurbished the structure, updating it to the then-popular Empire style. In 1916, Darst’s heirs sold the house to the newly-formed Dayton Woman’s Club. Marie J. Kumler (1856-1925), first president of the Club and the Dayton Federation of Women’s Clubs led efforts to raise the $25,000 to purchase the property. The House was listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1975 and the Club celebrated 100 years here in 2016.”
Take a walk through our history
Did you know that several women and men associated with the Dayton Woman's Club are buried at Woodland Cemetery? Click below to take a virtual tour of the cemetery and learn more about these pivotal women and men from our history.
A National Treasure!
In 1975, the Dayton Woman's Club was entered in the National Register of Historic Places. A quote from the official nomination, "The magnificent Second Empire style mansion is an 1865 renovation of a historically important Classic Revival house of 1845-50."
The plaque reads: This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior
Circa 1848 • Redesigned 1865