Page 6 - 2012 SDCA Project

HISTORY
The Lithonia Woman’s Club (LWC), located at 2564 Wiggins
Street, Lithonia, GA was nominated for the National Registry
of Historic Structures (NRHS) in 2003 due to its significance
in the areas of education, social history, and architecture.
The Red and Green Scene Outreach Committee believe that
we must not only preserve, but also celebrate these areas of
historic significance.
The building was constructed in 1929 out of locally quarried
granite, making it an example of the local building tradition.
It has a rectangular plan and a cross-gabled roof. The front
façade has stylistic elements of an English Vernacular
Revival cottage, with a prominent chimney, grouped
windows, and steep front gables. Two sets of ten light
French doors are symmetrically placed to the sides of the
chimney, with a single door opening into the Reception
Room. Decorative brackets support hoods over the doors
and decorative lanterns light the front porch made of granite.
The interior is made up of five areas, which have had little
change since it was first built: a large assembly hall, library/
reception room, dining room, kitchen, and bathrooms. The
dominant architectural features include the granite fireplace
and the exposed beams on the gabled roof in the assembly
hall, which take your breath away. All rooms are trimmed
6 RAGS 2012
in 9” wood stained baseboards. According to the NRHS still located in the LWC reception room today. In 1947, the
application, original hardwood floors were covered with vinyl Reception/Library Room was enlarged to accommodate
tiles in 1971. Parquet floors were installed in the assembly additional books and patrons. From 1929 – 1955 the
hall. Walls are covered in plaster, except in the assembly Lithonia Library, the first in Dekalb County, was operated by
hall which has white painted paneling which was added in Woman’s Club Members. In 1955 the Library moved to a
1971 over the plaster walls. The kitchen was renovated new location.
in the 1960’s; two air-conditioning units were added to the
assembly room in 1970; central heat and air in 1973-1975. The Lithonia Woman’s Club building continued to serve civic
In 2001 the bathrooms were updated to provide some groups and private citizens as rental meeting and reception
accessibility options. space throughout its 74 years under the ownership of the
Lithonia Woman’s Club. In 2001, LWC, Inc. ,deeded the
The Lithonia Woman’s Club is important to the social history building and parcel of land to the Arabia Mountain Heritage
of Lithonia and Dekalb County as it was the center of social Area Alliance (AMHAA).
and civic activity from 1929 – 1955 (NRHS, 2003). The LWC
was formed in 1924 and participated in civic work, which
included areas such as public health, park improvement,
suffrage work, education, and early library formation. The
Lithonia Woman’s club building was planned as a meeting
place for club members and other civic groups. It was
also a place for the group to house their expanding public
lending library which had been started by Miss Lula (Mrs.
C.J.Tucker) and the Improvement Club in 1906. According
to early club members, at the time the library consisted
of two bookcases and was open to the public for an hour,
two afternoons each week. This original glass-bookcase is
Dedication Plaque