AMHERST — Trim on countertops in the pantry and concrete for the foot of the outside fire escapes are some of the finishing touches being applied to the Amherst Woman’s Club in its four-year renovation project.
While Ronald Keith and Steven Keith, of Ronald Keith Construction of Hadley, continue their commitment to renovating the 19th-century mansion at 35 Triangle St., in just over two weeks the club will welcome the community to help mark a milestone anniversary.
“We wanted to have it (the restoration) done in time for the 125th anniversary celebration,” said Cathryn Lombardi, chairwoman of the club’s restoration committee.
The club, which has about 100 members, holds an open house May 18 from 4 to 6 p.m., with Town Manager Paul Bockelman, state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg and state Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose expected to speak.
Inside what is called the Hills Memorial Clubhouse, Lombardi said, everything has been redone, from repairs to holes and nicks in the plaster to sanding and polishing the wood floors and installing new William Morris wallpaper, which mimics what would have been on the walls in the mid to late 19th century.
“We wanted period piece as close as we could get it,” Lombardi said.
Libby Klekowski, historian for the club and head of events, said it has been critical to get the details accurate. “We felt strongly that we wanted it done right,” Klekowski said.
Four years ago, the club aimed to modernize the building’s infrastructure, including installing a new heating system, converting from oil to gas, and putting in central air conditioning for the main floor.
An impetus for some of the work, Lombardi said, was high heating bills and radiators that were in need of significant maintenance.
The Victorian home was built in 1864 by Amherst hat manufacturer Leonard Mariner Hills and used exclusively as a residence for more than 50 years. The Italian villa-style building was designed by William Fenno Pratt, the same local architect who worked on The Evergreens, the nearby home of Emily Dickinson’s brother, Austin.
Though the Amherst Woman’s Club was founded in 1893, it didn’t acquire the Hills home until 1922, when Alice Maud Hills left the building in her will following her death, after she jumped overboard from a ship sailing on the West Coast at the age of 48.
Klekowski said Hills’ reasons for giving the home to the club are unclear.
“She obviously would have had a connection or else wouldn’t have left it to that group of women,” she said.
The origins of the Woman’s Club date to May 18, 1893, when Amy Barnes Maynard invited women living in Amherst to meet at her home on the Massachusetts Agricultural College campus.
Klekowski said the formation came at a time when women were just getting out of the private sphere and were seeking places where they could come together, irrespective of social status. Many associated with the agricultural school or Amherst College appreciated the club’s intellectual aspect, but also its community service component.
Both objectives continue to this day, where the main floor is used for events including twice-monthly meetings that are open the public and feature speakers, musicians and others who can bring insights into current events and culture.
The renovations, which also included repairing the roof on the carriage house, haven’t stopped the club from functioning.
“We took the attitude that while renovations on the inside were under progress, we would still have club meetings,” Lombardi said.
“We can’t compliment Ronald and Stephen Keith enough because they’ve been so accommodating,” Klekowski said.
Every year the club gives two $1,000 scholarships to Amherst Regional High School seniors for further education, and has a large list of community service organization that get some share of money.
The club used to pass a basket, but now has more formal ways to raise money through a community services committee charged with bringing in $5,000 per year.
Weddings and other receptions are also a popular way to bring in money, with many interested in renting the facility.
“It’s nicely set up for a small wedding in a Victorian house,” Lombardi said.
Upstairs, three apartments are rented, bringing in more income, though a cupola at the top has not yet been fully restored and has become a place for storing items.
It was in the upper floors where books and ledgers, including club executive board meetings and minutes, were found, which Klekowski used to write a history of the club.
The exact cost of the work is not being revealed, but Klekowski said a $10,000 endowment left by Alice Maud Hills in the mid 1990s, when her last relative died, was used to set up a renovation fund.
“We’ve been very fortunate the last few years to use some of that money,” Lombardi said. “Part of the charge of the Mrs. Hills money is to maintain the house, and we have done that.”
That included painting the entire exterior and resurfacing the driveway.
As the club celebrates its longtime presence in Amherst, members will reflect on the success from those who previously led the club.
“We were very fortunate that the legacy from previous members and times gone by over 125 years gave us the wherewithal,” Lombardi said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.