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Woman's Building of Houston - Milford House papers, 1894-1976

 Collection
Identifier: MS 388
Finding aid note: Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the Woman's Building of Houston membership documents, including five membership registries, organizational notes such as meeting notes, administrative papers and election results, correspondence regarding membership, Certificates of Membership, and Certificates with letters concerning the transfer of memberships. Also present is memorabilia from Milford House and the Woman's Building of Houston, including programs and clippings relating to women's musical groups, operas and musicals, newspaper clippings concerning the history of the Woman's Building of Houston and events hosted at Milford House, a diary with notes on Milford House and other organizations, and a notebook containing listings of donations to Milford House.

Dates

  • 1894-1976

Creator

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Woman's Building of Houston- Milford House papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Historical Note

In 1925, seventeen Houston women gathered to discuss the creation of a special building that would serve as a cultural and social center for Houston women. After years of planning, they announced a drive for the necessary $300,000 in 1928. "Men have their clubs, gathering places and organizations. Certainly the woman in this day need similar institutions," wrote a journalist in a April, 1928 Houston Chronicle article. The funds grew steadily, but the drive lost momentum over following two decades. In 1949, 39 of the 330 official members met to discuss the possibility of dissolving the organization. The members voted to continue the drive, and on Wednesday, November 11, 1953, Milford House was officially opened with a musicale and a tea. Milford House, officially operated by the Woman's Building of Houston, hosted many cultural and social events for women over the next two decades. The club membership dwindled in the 1980's, and Milford House, located at 1101 Milford, was sold to the Italian Cultural and Community Center of Houston in 1988. The club was disbanded shortly after.

Extent

1 Linear Feet ( (2 boxes))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

The collection consists of the membership documents, organizational documents and memorabilia of the Woman's Building of Houston, an organization founded in 1925 that was devoted to the creation of a building that would serve as a cultural and social center for Houston women. After over twenty-five turbulent years of fundraising and patience, the organization saw success when Milford House officially opened in 1953.

Acquisition Information

The collection was a gift from Miss Mayola F. Patton, Rice 1922, via her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. And Mrs. Haylett O'Neill, Jr, on October 2, 1984.

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Woman's Building of Houston- Milford House papers, 1894-1976
Status
Completed
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892