10/23/2026
It’s WHRC Wednesday! GFWC member clubs have been champions of historic preservation in their communities for decades. Today we’re highlighting one such project from the mid twentieth century: GFWC Menomonie Woman’s Club’s successful efforts to save the historic Mabel Tainter Memorial Building.
Built in 1889, this beautiful building honored Mabel Tainter, daughter of a local couple who died at age 19. The Memorial was designed to boost Menomonie’s music and arts scene with dedicated spaces for a theater, a library, and a community center. Though a thriving venue for many years, by the late 1950s the theater was disused, the library board was struggling, the building was in poor condition ... and the local government was eyeing the site. Before major work (and possible destruction) could begin, “the Menomonie Woman’s Club provided the spark for a determined project of preservation and restoration” by gathering concerned residents. This led to the formation of both a new Theater Guild, and the Mabel Tainter Memorial Preservation Association. These groups identified historic features worth preserving, raised funds, revitalized the theater space, and voiced opposition to the government’s plans. Happily, they succeeded in their aims; today the Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is still a vital part of the Menomonie cultural landscape.
In those days before the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (which provides oversight and protection of historical and archaeological resources through review processes like Section 106 and programs like the National Register), it was especially difficult to prevent a community’s history from being razed in the name of urban renewal. The club entered their successful work in GFWC’s 1962-1964 Community Improvement Project Contest, and although they did not win a national prize, we kept their project summary in the archives to inspire other clubs working to preserve their communities’ stories.
Today, GFWC encourages our members to keep up this good work through Resolution 130-010: Historic Preservation, first voted on in 1989. Has your club worked on a historic preservation project? Let us know in the comments!
📷 Three pages from the GFWC- Menomonie Woman's Club 1964 Community Improvement Project contest submission, featuring an illustration of the grand building, an article about public opposition to the city’s plans for the structure, and a photo of the historic theater. CIP 1962-1964.18
