Saratoga News
News
Foothill Club tradition is building, and members are very proud of it
By Shannon Burkey
For the women of the Foothill Club, preserving the rich history of their 92-year-old clubhouse is an ongoing labor of love.
"This building is a very important part of our tradition and members uniformly fall in love with the building," said club president Gillian Moran. "We enjoy being there, having the community there and want to keep it going for the next 100 years."
Chartered in 1907, the club was established by 12 women who had an interest in self-improvement and learning. They formed a study group--the Foothill Study Club--that later became the Foothill Club. The women would get together to discuss culture, literature and art.
For years the club met in various places, but in 1916 it finally had a place it could call home. Located near downtown Saratoga, the clubhouse was designed by architect Julia Morgan and built entirely of redwood. With its open-beamed ceilings and carved trellises, the site has been a source of pride for the club's members ever since.
"We have a long tradition of stewardship of the clubhouse--it's something we take very seriously," Moran said. "A lot of clubs don't have their own building and we realize it's a treasure for us."
Today, the building is on the National Register of Historical Places.
"We have a very high priority on keeping the clubhouse historically accurate," Moran said.
To keep it historically intact, Moran said club members read about the time period and rely on the club's historic and landmark committee, as well as its house and grounds committee. In addition, the club recently had the property assessed to help prioritize its maintenance and repair needs.
"The complete assessment runs many pages; everything from the chimney to the basement is on the list," Moran said. "Some things need our attention now and some things don't--we'll just keep plugging away at the list."
The club has since prioritized what needs to be done, with key issues including safety and preservation, structural repair and the roof.
"We're looking at what needs to be done now as we look to the next 100 years," she said.
As with any structure that is more than 90 years old and needs substantial upkeep, it can become costly. Yearly maintenance on the building runs about $30,000, not including the long list of capital improvements needed.
But the determined members have not let financial issues deter them. Their fundraising efforts have been relentless over the years, and many of the women have set aside money of their own for the building.
"If you look at the history of the club, it's been interesting. We've sold lemonade, brownies and everything else every time we've needed work done on the building," Moran said.
Today, their efforts have grown from lemonade stands and bake sales. Several years ago, the club formed its Historic Landmark Foundation to focus on fundraising for the needs of the clubhouse.
"The sole purpose of the foundation is the maintenance and preservation of our historic building," said board member Cindy Ruby.
In the past year, the foundation has raised $94,500 through rummage sales, antique appraisal clinics, solicitation letters and grants, with all of the proceeds going to the preservation of the clubhouse.
As the club looks to the next 100 years, Moran said she would like to see the community become involved in helping to preserve the clubhouse so that it can be a place everyone can enjoy.
"We need the community and the members to keep the building alive," she said. "We definitely want to keep it on everyone's radar."
