Tennille Woman's Clubhouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1922, this one-story log clubhouse at 132 Smith Street in downtown Tennille was raised for the local woman's club, which began in 1914 as a sewing club. Its walls are peeled, stained pine logs with saddlebag notching, and the front portico has limestone pillars and open log construction. Inside, a large meeting room has a stone-over-brick fireplace with a log mantel hung from a log chain. The community donated money, logs, lumber, lime, cement and rock, and contractor J. A. Mills oversaw construction. The cornerstone dedicates the building to Washington County men who served in the World War. The clubhouse became a community center, hosting meetings, plays, dances and reunions, and the club used it for school and clean-up projects. In 1923 the county's first publicly supported library opened in its south room. The building is valued as a rustic Craftsman design and as a landmark of the woman's club movement, and the club still uses it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent example of an early 20th-century small-town clubhouse in the rustic Craftsman style, with local materials and fine craftsmanship. It is also tied to the woman's club movement and to local civic, educational and social history, including the county's first publicly supported library, which opened in the building in 1923.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 98000815, listed July 1, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 132 Smith St., Tennille |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | July 1, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000815 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1948 |
| Architect / builder | J.A.Mills, contractor |
| Architectural style | Classification given as "unclear"; the significance statement describes an overall Craftsman, rustic style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a clubhouse; the form says it has had very few changes, with gas heating added around 1986 and air conditioning around 1992. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.93779, -82.81246 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 98000815.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58030643
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.