A visit to The Saint Louis Woman’s Club

Though I have been aware of The Saint Lous Woman's Club located at 4600 Lindell for years and years, I knew very little about it until recently.  Then, out of the blue, Carolyn Farrell, president of the organization, and her husband Kevin, whom we have known since our children were toddlers, invited us to a lecture and dinner there. The featured guest was CWEnder Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Chief Executive Officer of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Rhonda is nothing short of a dynamo, and as we listened, enthralled by her presentation, I realized how lucky St. Louis is to have her at the helm of this very important asset.  

Longtime friend and CWEnder Carolyn Farrell, above, has been a member of The Woman's Club since 2005 and president since last May. Carolyn invited me back to visit a few days later to take pictures for this blog and to share more about the facilities, which are available for outside events. Frequently people ask me if I know of a neighborhood venue for a meeting, wedding or small dinner. Now I can add the beautiful Saint Louis Woman's Club to the list of possibilities.

First some history: At the time of the 1904 World's Fair, then Mayor David Francis asked a group of women to provide hospitality to visiting heads of state and wives of royalty who were coming to St. Louis for the Fair. Those early efforts led to what would become The Saint Louis Woman's Club, which opened its first home at 3611 Washington, in what is now Grand Center. In 1911 the Club purchased the Donaldson family mansion on Lindell (the city's premier thoroughfare), designed in 1895 by the firm of Grable, Weber & Groves. Members paid $40,000 for the property. Ten years later member Kate Howard retired the debt plus interest. The Saint Louis Woman's Club recently celebrated its 100th anniversary at 4600 Lindell.

There are currently 110 active members from all over the St. Louis area, including junior members and eleven non-resident members. Twenty-two board members serve on 15 extremely active committees. The Program Committee plans four events a month, two in the daytime and two in the evening. Besides the dinner with the Rhonda Hamm-Newbruegge, June's calendar included a visit to Soulard's "Secret Gardens," and a dinner with Michael Isaacson,  Executive Producer of The Muny.
The photo above shows the long entry hall and just a few of the many pieces of lovely furniture donated by members over the years. Most of the meeting rooms are off this main hallway.  At the end there is a door to the fully-equipped kitchen where Russian-born Chef Leon Dubinovskiy holds forth. The members are crazy about Chef Dubinovskiy and rave about his culinary skills. He personally customizes the menu for each event.

The photograph above shows one of several private rooms that can accommodate up to 150 guests. This room also has a Steinway piano. There are smaller rooms available for meetings, luncheons or dinners for as few as two people.

The second-floor ballroom, with its gorgeous chandeliers and windows, has a full stage with a Steinway piano. Last winter the Winter Opera was held in the ballroom. The ballroom can accommodate 200 people, or 160 with the dance floor.

It is required that events be sponsored by a club member, and Carolyn Farrell said that she would be happy to do just that. Contact General Manager Sheri Gwinnup at (314) 367-0700, [email protected], for more information. The website has sample menus, pricing, and other pertinent information.

Thanks so much Carolyn for the tour and for introducing us to The Saint Louis Woman's Club. I know many readers of this blog will be as glad as I am to be aware of this treasure in the neighborhood.