BY JENN SAMSEL
Special to the Monitor
On Sunday, January 26, Historic Melrose, Inc. hosted Dr. Cynthia Patterson from the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, who spoke at the Homemakers Club about the history of the Melrose Ladies Literary and Debating Society.
Dr. Patterson discussed in great detail the accomplishments of these women during the decade from 1890 to 1899.
According to the USF associate professor of English, the women wrote articles and letters, read to one another, and found ways to continue reading. Many of these women were empowering figures who were unafraid to challenge the boundaries that were often seen as forbidden at the time.
“I know a lot about the Ladies Club between 1890 and 1899 because I spent days and days at the University of Florida, which holds their manuscripts, taking thousands of photos and then transcribing them and so on, and this is based on an article I published five years ago or so in the Florida Historical Quarterly,” she said.
Patterson continued, “So they engaged with many of the age’s leading social and political issues. Their literary practices of reading, writing, and debating proved inextricably bound up with their consumption of this progressive literature that they were reading during this decade, the decade of the 1890s.”
Dr. Patterson’s speech was quite eventful and eye-opening. She encouraged everyone to visit USF to learn more about the women in its historical section.
Sara Hebert, the Historic Melrose, Inc. secretary, said the literary and debating society formed the basis of today’s Melrose Woman’s Club, which meets in the same building on Pine Street.”
Homemakers Club and Historic Melrose, Inc.
The Melrose Homemakers Club building, built in 1886, was originally the Vogelbach Drug Store. The Vogelbach brothers operated a physician’s office and pharmacy there, followed by the McRae Family. Beginning in 1952, the building housed the Homemakers Club, which was acquired by Historic Melrose, Inc., as its headquarters in 2002.
Historic Melrose, Inc. was formed in 1985 by a group of local citizens led by Roy Hunt and Felicity Trueblood, who were concerned about the historical preservation of Melrose.
The organization’s first major task was to conduct an architectural and historic survey of the town after receiving a grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources to prepare a nomination packet for the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic Melrose has continued to promote historic preservation through the years, managing several properties, including the Banana Grist Mill property, St. John the Fisherman Cemetery in Earleton, the Homemakers Club, and the Daurer History Center, through an over 20-year partnership with Putnam County Parks and Recreation.
Hebert said, “We enjoy member field trips to historically significant sites and museums throughout Florida and host events such as historical lectures and celebrations. Additionally, we are in the process of archiving the vast Daurer collection of documents and images of life in Melrose since the late 1800s.”
“Historic Melrose, Inc. remains an active group, and we are humbled by all memberships, donations, and dedicated volunteers,” Hebert continued. “Thanks to our members’ support, we can continue our mission of promoting the preservation of historical and cultural aspects of the Lake Region.”
The Daurer History Center at Heritage Park in Melrose is open monthly during the First Friday Art Walk.
“We hope to host another Bellamy Road Show again this year, but the most exciting event for this year is our triennial Christmas Home Tour, December 14, 2025,” Hebert said.
You can keep up with all that Historic Melrose, Inc. does via Facebook or its website, www.historicmelroseinc .org.
