Peoria Women's Club Fundraiser 1920s Jazz Holiday Dinner

On December 4, 2022, the Peoria Women's Club (PWC) will open their doors at 2PM for a special afternoon of dining, dance, and music to aid in their historic building restoration efforts. Connie Randall from A Matter of Taste catering will be recreating a four-course menu and recipes from the club's archives. Only 36 tickets will be available at a cost of $125 per person. Registration is available on the Peoria Women's Club Facebook events site at: https://www.facebook.com/PWC301/events/.

In 2021, a generous gift from entrepreneur and philanthropist Kim Blickenstaff kicked off renovations at the PWC. The exterior work to dry-in the building has been recently completed including a new roof, tuck-pointing, window restoration, cornice work, and dormer repair. Restroom upgrades, plumbing, and additional first floor interior upgrades are expected to start in the summer of 2023. Additional funds must be raised to upgrade the first-floor kitchen and to reopen the second-floor theater, which has been closed to the public for 52 years.

PWC is the second oldest continuously occupied clubhouse in the United States and the only one in the country with a theater. Erected in 1893 with the support of Lydia Moss Bradley, members sold shares of stock to construct the distinctive 11,000-square-foot red brick clubhouse located at 301 NE Madison Avenue. The clubhouse was built for a sum of $45,000 and designed in collaboration with famed architect William Le Baron Jenney considered to be the "father of the American skyscraper." Tours will be available before the dinner.

Category: Community | Fundraisers