Charlotte Mulligan and other prominent women of Buffalo founded the Twentieth Century Club. We believe that women need a space to gather in an environment rich in the tradition of education, community, and culture.
Contact us
The Twentieth Century Club reflected the national growth of the women’s club movement and women’s increased influence in American life. The Clubhouse was designated among the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior in 2011.
“
It was an easy decision to join The Twentieth Century Club because I noticed right away that women were really enjoying time with other women. The Club values and nurtures the gifts and talents of its members and is a warm and welcoming space.
—Mary Wnek, Member of 7 years
Become a member
Historically, Club activities included book clubs, bridge, lectures, and luncheons. In addition, the women of The Twentieth Century Club have set to work when the nation and community called.
Our story began with an incredible idea and the purchase of the property at 595 Delaware, previously the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church. How quickly The Twentieth Century Club was planned, organized, and launched is a wonder.
Charlotte Mulligan was born in Buffalo in 1825, the only daughter of six children. Her life was shaped by her love of family, education at the Buffalo Female Academy, and the repercussions of the Civil War. Charlotte was a dedicated educator, shaping The Club to be a space for women to advance our understanding of the world and our place in it. Although Charlotte died in 1900, her legacy lives on at The Twentieth Century Club.
Before the 1890s, women commonly organized themselves by interest and social station in clubs such as literary societies, alumnae groups, or church committees. In the mid-1890s, women’s clubs were already addressing many of their day’s social and political problems, such as temperance, child labor, poverty, homelessness, and social inequity, through public demonstrations and volunteerism. By the late 1890s, many women’s clubs reorganized to become political and social forces in their communities while pushing for women’s rights and suffrage.
The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo began as an alumnae club of the Buffalo Seminary. Charlotte Mulligan envisioned a broader, more inclusive membership: “Why not open our circle to other progressive women, have a more beautiful home, and so exert a wider influence!” As membership grew, the women asked, “Are we to be a women’s-only club?” A discussion followed. A vote was taken. The Twentieth Century Club was women’s-only. The Buffalo Evening News wrote on November 5, 1895, “There is something going on up here in Buffalo. It seems that there is a club composed entirely of women that has bought itself a clubhouse and is running its affairs on the same line as a regular man’s club.”
A reception held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on November 20, 1894, marked the formal opening of The Twentieth Century Club. Distinguished citizens were invited to celebrate the occasion with Club members and their guests. A reporter from the Buffalo Commercial wrote, “Delaware Avenue yesterday above Allen Street was blocked with carriages, and pedestrians had a hard time making their way past the 20th Century Club where the opening of the club was celebrated by a reception.”
In 1895, the firm of Green and Wicks was engaged to construct the Clubhouse. Mrs. John Clark Glenny (Alice) was appointed Chairman of Building and Furnishings to work with the architects. The resulting design is full of charm and sophistication.
The exterior of the building is in the Italian Renaissance style. Architects of the late nineteenth century were influenced by L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts, which rejected Victorian style by combining Greek, Roman, and Renaissance themes.
The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo is a refined three-story building designed with dignity and elegant touches throughout the interior of the building. Enter through the front door into a foyer flanked by the office and a Visitor’s Room. Curved double stairs lead up to the Court on the second floor, a beautiful, light-filled atrium. In keeping with the Italian Renaissance theme of the building, several casts, designed by Luca della Robbia, adorn the Court. A Library opens off the Court, its collection of periodicals and scrapbooks documenting the Club’s history. An adjoining Music Room was designed by Mrs. Glenny, who painted a series of murals mounted above the wainscoting. Today, this room is used for conversation, entertaining, and occasional music performances.
Let Deeds Tell is our Club motto and has been so since our inception. You will see it on the iron gate leading to the Garden, our publications, and our stationery. We aspire to live up to this ideal as we plan programs. From its inception, The Twentieth Century Club presented leading musical artists from the US and abroad in recital and concert programs. In 1941, violinist Isaac Stern played the first Buffalo performance of a new Vaughn Williams concerto. In recent years, we have sought experts to speak on current issues or interests to keep us knowledgeable on climate change, the Supreme Court, women’s health, and the reopening of the Buffalo AKG Museum. In 2024, we heard about Hallwalls from its curator, John Massier, and Jaman Dunn of the Buffalo Master Chorale.
In 1901, the Pan-American Exposition brought the world to Buffalo, and The Twentieth Century Club opened its doors to many of the city’s most celebrated visitors. Receptions were held for Vice President and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and their daughter Alice, Governor and Mrs. Benjamin Odell, Mr. and Mrs. Booker T. Washington, and Chinese Minister Wu Ting Fang. The wives of foreign diplomats visiting the Exposition were entertained at a special dinner, and a gala ball was given for the Corps of Cadets from the US Military Academy. The Club graciously extended membership privileges to Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. McKinley.
By 1904, it was clear that Assembly Hall’s seating capacity was too small, and its limited exits made it unsafe. The converted church was demolished, and a hall was erected with a seating capacity of 576 on the ground floor and 150 in the gallery. A gymnasium, pool, shower, and hot room were added. At a cost of $50,000, the addition was opened in November 1905.
A fire destroyed the ballroom in 1923. The Club replaced it with the Main Dining Room, a smaller dining room with loggias on two open sides. Today, a French door opens to a wide curving staircase that leads to the magnificent walled garden.
The Garden came into existence in the early 1930s and was designed by Harold Leroy Olmsted. Pachysandra, ferns, and hostas surround a large hickory tree, with one path meandering through to a curved iron gate set in the tall stucco wall. Continuing on the other path, turning toward the building offers a view of the fountain attended by a statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain. The fountain is flanked by slate steps leading to an English bench reposing under the curved bough of a juniper. The vista of the Garden from the Terrace is breathtaking from spring through autumn.
By limiting membership to women, The Club has provided a space for women to express themselves, build relationships, and be enriched through thoughtful programs directed toward the interests of the membership, as determined by the members.
From the very beginning, The Club has offered Wednesday programs preceded by coffee hour and followed by lunch. We have evening programs to accommodate our members’ varied schedules, including fun activities, interesting speakers, and book club. There are special events, such as our Holiday Tea, and one-time programs and events. Our members enjoy casual activities on non-program days, including mahjong, Mexican train, and various card games, sometimes preceded or followed by lunch.
Our members have delighted in several outside activities. These include trips and tours to local, regional, and international locations, and Dining Divas, a series of group visits to area restaurants. Our membership is always looking for opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience the best the world has to offer.
