Within every sinew of the Bronxville Women’s Club historic clubhouse lies the story of strong women, women who believed they could improve not only their lives but also their community.
Originally, the space was known as the Bronxville Civics Club, which had fought for women’s suffrage. After the 19th Amendment of the US Constitution was ratified, in August 1920, the club no longer had a mission, but the women really wanted to stay together, explains Kathleen DeRusso, president of the Bronxville Women’s Club. So, the Bronxville Civics Club chose to merge with the local chapter of the Housewives League, forming what’s been known ever since as the Bronxville Women’s Club. That was followed by the construction of its historic clubhouse, located at the intersection of Midland and Tanglewylde Avenues.
The Bronxville Women’s Club sought to be a place where women had a voice and could learn. DeRusso explains that the clubhouse developed into a place for literature, art, and music. Today, the club maintains its legacy of education through coffeehouses with local performers and workshops with local theater troupes. From the outside, it appears just to be another mansion in Bronxville — but to its community, it is far more than that.
