- Will you consider this?

Long before they could cast their votes, the women of Peoria made themselves known and managed to find a purposeful way to contribute to the community.

The women created a forum to focus on their public opinions, apparently much to the consternation of their male counterparts, but they started with the arts, music, literature, and culture, and then moved into other civic affairs.

In the meantime, they were raising monies for a permanent home.

Don't go away.

(bright music) The Peoria Women's Club is over 137 years old, and its brick and mortar home is 130, I think if I did the math right.

If you're still standing at that age, you might need some work done both on the inside and the outside and that's exactly what's happening at the corner of Fayette and Madison Streets in Peoria.

The building is being restored to its original beauty, not just cosmetics, meeting modern and up-to-date code standards and Peoria Women's Club PR director Hannah Hernandez joins me now to enlighten us all and you're so young.

I mean, you're working on this place that you probably didn't know a whole lot about when you were growing up, or did you?

- No, I didn't know actually that it was even in our Peoria area.

So I am relatively new to the organization.

My grandmother, Linda Hernandez, was a member first, and I was attending one of their luncheons about maybe two years ago now and I was just overwhelmed with the vision that our president, Kim Mitchell, has for our club and the possibilities the organization has for the community as we grow into the future.

- Did you major in public relations or this is something that you're just kinda learning along the way?

- Yeah, my major's advertising, so I have that creative background and I currently am a graphic designer, so I've got a mix of both worlds going into making sure people know about us, but making sure it looks good too.

- All right, so, Peoria Women's Club, beautiful old building and has hosted many things, but it was kind of fallen into disrepair for a while.

Tell me what's going on there.

- So our building was built in 1886, so it's stood a long time on that corner and in the 1970s, we had a fire in the building, so unfortunately the fire didn't do much, but the water damage did from putting out, so we had leaks in our roof and all that stuff so the building fell into a little bit of disrepair upstairs and we had to close the theater down.

Now we're in the process of fundraising so that we can open that back up to the community again because we've had legends come through that theater that we're just so proud to.

- So what legends have you heard about and what legends do you know about because you're pretty young, how old are you?

- I'm 26, so going on 27.

So they are before my time, but we've had quite a few come through from the Symphony Guilds specials that they run and as well as Peoria Players Theater.

So they had people come through and what some of them escaped my mind right now, but I know that they're on our website.

- Right, big names.

So the building has been open for so many years in some capacity.

When it was falling in disrepair, it was still utilized for some things, the lower levels?

- So our lower level, we still use for our club meetings, for external events and we even rent out the space to external organizations.

So we've had some birthday parties come in, we've had corporate events and we're hoping to explore weddings in the future too.

- Okay, excuse me, we're taping this in August and it's brutally hot outside right now and cold in here.

So all this stuff is settling on me, so I apologize for hacking away.

So a couple years ago, Kim Blickenstaff came in and with the Farmsworth group, they did like laser focus on everything that needed to be done in that building.

So tell me about that.

Where did it start?

- Yeah, so we begun with the theater.

That's what Kim Blickenstaff was originally drawn into.

It is a 430 seat theater and it has a raked stage, so that's unique to our theater there.

And according to some, it's acoustically perfect so you have to come see for yourself if that's the truth.

But he was drawn in by that and the possibilities of reopening that Peoria theater scene because our building is one of the oldest down there, part of that.

- Well, that made it through road construction.

- Yeah, exactly, so we've begun a lot of different...

Phase one is we call it.

So the roof was repaired and some of the windows were repaired, and then we focused more on the ground floor, including our gate.

That's our original iron gate that's getting repaired.

The tiling that's painstakingly being restored to what it was before, the stenciling on the ceiling, redoing the hardwood floors.

So all of that and making sure it's up to code for normal or modern parameters.

- Right, exactly, and that was a big question mark because Americans with Disabilities Act kind of put... Well made it more inclusive and a lot more people could be involved and allowed in at that point.

- Yeah, and as I said, this is phase one of our plan for restoration.

So we have several more phases to institute accessibility for people.

So that includes getting a ramp for one of our entrances, potentially putting in an elevator so people can come up from the ground floor to the theater floor.

Of course this all takes fun so we're in the process of that, but we were gifted a great sum from Kim Blickenstaff, so that's helped us tremendously pave the way for those.

- And he established a trust, is that right?

So there's some money available, but it always helps.

From what I understand you, just to restore the windows and they're not certainly up to code, but you're replacing the windows in the building and there's 79 windows or something?

- Something like that.

Our restoration committee has been so great about getting those exact numbers down and making sure that the ones that can be repaired are repaired, the ones that need to be fully replaced are replaced, all of that done for sure.

So we've had quite a few windows to be able to fix up there.

- Well you said that you still use the lower level for events and things and you rent it out.

You rent out the Peoria Women's Club?

- Yeah, so it's open for public and private events.

So let's say that you have a upcoming baby shower.

We've had people come through and rent one of our rooms and it's really beautiful in there.

It's the vintage feel to it.

It's nice and bright.

We have such tall windows, so the light falls in beautifully and there's some really cute... Well, I shouldn't say cute, but really cool, really cool vintage elements, like this fireplace that's built in.

We have these grandfather clocks that are really cool.

And again, the hardwood floors, it just feels like a building you wanna walk into and stay for a while.

- And like you said, your grandmother was a member or president?

- She is current member, and she's our current historian.

So she actually has been painstakingly going through all of our old documents.

So nothing is digitized right now, which is my job to do for the future.

- [Christine] Well that'll keep you busy.

- And hopefully get it on the website so we can start sharing more of our history, but she's been painstakingly going through old journals and documents of past meetings and that script handwriting, which is just so hard to read.

And she's compiling all that information so that way, we can share it with our members and the public and we can review that and enjoy it.

- In its heyday, and I don't even know what year to consider it, the heyday, how many members were there?

- We had quite a few members.

I believe we had around 700 members back in its heyday, if I'm remembering correctly, which was quite a large organization.

We started out with 25 founding members.

Some around my age when they just started, as you mentioned, at a time before women even had the right to vote and they were doing amazing things.

- They were, so again, does it play in Peoria and it did.

Those women, Ms. Bourland, she was the very first president and she had lived out east for a while and brought the idea back with her.

- Her influence of culture from other countries and bringing that back to the ladies and her social groups is what originally started because we didn't have a building when the Peoria Women's Club first started.

They were going to each other's homes, enjoying fellowship with one another, which is something I hope we can continue moving forward.

That fellowship aspect, especially coming out of COVID and not having the opportunity to connect with one another and have a place for women to come and enjoy.

But truly, her influence back then was amazing.

And they raised so many funds for it.

They raised $25,000 to build the building when it was originally-- - And back in the day, that was millions.

- Yes, I think it's around $840,000 in today's standards.

So, those women, they were getting going back then.

- They were lighting the torch and moving forward.

So originally when they had their, and it was arts and literature and music and things, but over the years, they have raised money and awareness for other charities, other community civic things.

Go into that for me.

- So this past February was our second annual fundraiser for Woodruff Culinary Arts program.

So we have a luncheon where the students come, they prepare all of the meals, they cater it, they serve it.

So they get real world experience of learning what it's like to serve for 100 person crowd.

And during that luncheon, they can present their competition presentations.

So they come in and they share everything they've been working on for the semester and they gain practice before they go to the state competitions and the national competitions and we were able to raise over $5,000 for them at our last fundraiser, which is really exciting because it prevents barriers from happening for them so that they don't have to worry about paying for hotels or the bus to get them to the competitions, it's taken care of by us.

- And where are those competitions?

I'm gonna have to do an interview with them.

- Yeah, I believe that they went to DC this past year and I cannot remember what place they came in, but it was high and then they also went to Chicago for competitions this past year.

- But it's still... Everything costs money today.

- Yes, and they're a very talented group.

- And so then they get to really show off.

And then some of the guests who are there can also hire them for other events.

- Yes, it's not just our members that come to these events, it's open to the public.

So we had leaders across like District 150 and other members of our community come in and actually get to see the work that's being done by these students because truly that program is exemplary and we just look forward to hosting them again this year.

- How many members do you have now?

- We have around 120, somewhere around there.

We've lost a couple because of COVID.

Everyone suffered from some of the numbers, but we're slowly regaining that back as we move forward.

- And then how do you recruit members?

- So we have our Heirlooms and Hor D'oeuvres events.

So those are open to members and non-members alike and those are the first Thursdays of every month from like 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

And so women can come in, bring a friend, bring three, and we have like drinks and appetizers and light bites.

And usually we'll have guest speakers to come in and give a short program and talk about their non-profit.

And then we have fellowship hours.

So we usually bring in an heirloom and we talk about our history, kind of going back to what our club's all about and just give that time for those women to get together.

- Have you been amazed that a lot of people don't know about the Peoria Women's Club?

- I think in some sense yes, but as we have slowly been reworking our marketing efforts and getting our digital presence caught up with modern times, I hope that we can get more interest in it, but I am surprised in that we are there and that we haven't been known about for so long, considering our ties the community.

- Exactly, for over 130 years.

So would you like to add some more people your age?

I mean, you're in the perfect position right now 'cause you don't wanna... Oh, Peoria Women's Club.

Oh, a bunch of people my age.

But you think that your friends have some interest just because you're so enthusiastic about it?

- Yeah, I mean, I'm passionate about history and the arts in general.

I've been in the art scene for 15 years, going on 15 years.

And so I feel for the people that come back, my dance friends that they don't have anywhere to go or my artists that they just wanna get involved in something that supports the community beyond just philanthropy or beyond doing one singular volunteer project, but actually creating change and being able to provide opportunities for those that might not have it I think would draw them in for sure.

- And so what do they say to you when you say, "Hey, do you wanna come down here to Heirlooms and Hor D'oeuvres?"

Do they take you up on it and are they pretty amazed?

- I think so.

Those events are smaller and so we love when those younger members come and they can kind of enjoy.

We are looking to expand our opportunities within the clubhouse to be able to provide events and socials for those that are the working women because sometimes it's hard as you've transitioned from one aspect to another, we wanna be able to make sure that we're hitting all those targets.

So right now, we're hitting this one over here in this certain demographic, but we wanna expand so we can bring more people in.

- All right, so this renovation restoration, you started again with the roof and windows and then the lower floors.

So what needs to... What are the biggest, most critical areas that need to be done before you can even get up to the top floor in the theater?

- So we're actually wrapping up phase one, as I mentioned, coming up.

So we are redoing the wood floors and painting and just making sure everything looks pristine down there.

And then the next step will be conquering the upstairs.

So making sure that the ceiling is all repaired.

We have some parts coming down up there.

- [Christine] It's called plaster.

- Yeah, plaster, some plaster parts coming down from up there, but as we make our way up, especially that ramp just to get people in because we do have steps outside, so we're working with hopefully some politicians to help us lobby maybe some funds for that just because we don't wanna limit anyone from being able to come and enjoy what's going on there.

- From what I've heard from people is one big drawback unfortunately is parking.

So what have you done to alleviate that?

- Yeah, so there's actually the public parking lot right off of, if I'm remembering my map correctly right.

So if Madison's over here, there's a public parking lot right kind of behind Obed and Isaac so that one's there.

The parking deck has also been open across the street from us for public now.

So that is an accessibility that we're doing.

We're also talking about maybe potentially having for special events charter buses that can take people back and forth from further spots, but there's not much room down there to put in new parking so we're taking advantage of our partnerships in the area.

- Well, you need to have horses and buggies come drop people off again.

- That would be great.

That'd be so much fun.

- Well, so for the restoration and you said the ceilings and the paintings, who will you find to do that?

And it's not just slapping a coat of paint on it, it's intricate painting.

- Yeah, they're doing the stenciling and then within the next month or so and all those little painstaking pieces downstairs and we have a group, friends we've been working with greatly and our restoration group has a bunch of local organizations that they're working with.

- Has it been a lot of fun for you to see this all go on because you're from the modern age and you said you went to St. Thomas, Peoria Notre Dame, then you went away to college in Iowa and now you're back and are you just amazed at how you can get all hands on deck for a project like this?

- I knew once I came back from college, I wanted to be all hands on deck.

I was in a sorority in college, so I love philanthropy, I love that aspect.

I was in it back in Notre Dame.

I was a part of the pilot club, what's it called, the anchor club.

I was part of that, Special Olympics.

So being able to have that when I come back has been really key for me and being able to be hands-on and lend my youth to some of these more physical projects is something that I really am passionate about.

- And do you recruit some of your friends also to help out 'cause they're strong and young.

- I try to, but I work out for that reason.

So we lean back on our community for sure of friends and family to help us out with all projects.

- Good, well, alright, so then back up to the theater.

Seating for 400-- - [Hannah] 432 people.

- 432, interesting, and what all needs to be done there?

Obviously new theater seating, but where will you start or in that phase, what is the start and you've sent some pictures about befores and durings.

- First was getting the fire system installed so that way, if anything happens, God forbid we don't have anything happen, it's up to code and all of that.

So that's been the painstaking process, just making sure that every little detail is covered and we're not missing anything going through that and then all of the detail work after that.

The roof's done.

Most of the outside's done... Well, the outside's done from last summer.

But just making sure, like the flooring looks good and the painting, maybe working on the stage a little bit and updating that and then there's some areas in front of like the lobby where we're gonna take out the carpets and put new flooring in and well, redo the flooring that's in there.

- Well it was probably a beautiful wood floor or I know that you have a lot of mosaic tiles and things too.

Well, the logo is right in the entryway.

- Yes, and that's been there since the building was built.

So it's in great condition considering how much time has passed and how many people have walked through there.

- And that's kind of fun to know.

Well, it costs money to do these things.

And what other kind of fundraising events will you have coming up?

We have the Heirlooms and Hor D'oeuvres or horse dovers as some people call it just to try to spell it out.

What else will we have to look forward to?

- Yeah, so we usually do a winter fundraiser with another organization that's still in the works of being planned currently.

We're on our summer break, so we're getting back into things and discussing, but we'll have that coming up and then we'll have our fundraiser in the spring.

So we're hoping to do Sounds of Spring again with the Peoria Symphony Guild and that'll be our next fundraiser.

And then we have opportunities throughout the year just to... You don't have to attend anything, but you can submit a monetary donation through our website, which is helpful.

- [Christine] And that website is so make sure we get it up there.

- Yeah, Peoriawomensclub.com, so super simple.

- Is there an-- - [Hannah] No apostrophe.

- No apostrophe, that's always good to know.

Has your mom always been a member.

- My mother has not been a member.

She was part of our community.

She was part of junior league and all that and after having raised four kids, she's like, I need some rest before I do anything else.

So she's taking a break right now, but if I need help from her, she happily-- - She's right there.

And your grandmother has been a member since for how long?

- Oh goodness, I'm not even sure.

She's been in it for quite some time.

I wanna say maybe not quite 10 years, something like that.

So she's seen quite a bit of change as presidents have changed over and as we've been fundraising and getting involved with newer organizations and volunteering her time, she's seen quite a bit of change in the last little bit.

- Did I also learn that you have an... Well, bathrooms obviously, accessible bathrooms, but kitchen, you're expanding the kitchen?

- That is part of phase two or phase three of our projects.

So right now, the bathrooms, yes, those are getting redone and they're gonna be brand new with more accessible features for sure for people that come through, but the kitchen is kind of next on that phase to redo.

And our hopes are to eventually be able to have people come in like from ICC Culinary Arts or Woodruff to be able to use the kitchen and rent it for educational opportunities.

But right now, that's not currently part of our phase.

- Well you got to take baby steps.

- Yeah, baby steps for sure and as you restore old buildings, sometimes there are things that come up that you didn't quite expect that maybe shift plans a little.

- Such as what's been a big surprise since you've been on board?

- Just the electrical, making sure that the outlets were correct.

Some of that wasn't done correctly or wasn't up to code so being able to redo that has had set some things back, but now it's got things moving along.

- [Christine] And air conditioning?

- Yes, absolutely, we have that going in.

HVAC system, all of that good stuff.

- So does this make you ever wanna own an old house and have to do all this?

- I actually do live in like 100 year old house right now.

I rent it, but it's been there for a long time.

The air conditioning system's old, so that's still in the floor, units, and-- - [Christine] No big duct work.

- No, no, so I love history and I love the old houses.

There's something about that Victorian era that just draws me into it.

- And this was definitely during the Victorian era and the fact that women had a voice.

Did that surprise you at all?

I mean, you learned the stories from your grandmother and she's going over the history, but to know that these women put on their bustles and went to work.

- Yeah, it did surprise me to learn their history having not heard about it before as a local Peorian, but as someone who believes strongly in voicing for your opinion and voicing your opinion for others to directly impact the community, it was just so exciting to me to be able to be a part of that and to help further that and to advocate for the arts and culture and those community organizations.

- But you need to get young blood, you need to get younger people involved and so, we already talked about a little bit, but do you have a major plan that you can focus some things specifically for like the 30 somethings?

- Yeah, we have some plans coming up for 2024.

I can't speak on them completely yet, but some opportunities where maybe we have a luncheon or not a luncheon I guess I should say.

- [Christine] 'Cause everybody's working.

- Exactly, a weekend activity where you can come and paint with coffee.

And we have some local artists that we really wanna partner with to be able to provide almost like a luncheon and arts program for people to just come and relax.

Honestly, young people need to relax and come and enjoy, but then have those opportunities for them if they so choose to volunteer.

- So you'd probably do that in a winter month because there's not necessarily a whole lot going on.

- No, yeah, exactly.

And we do have some special events that go on in the evenings that people can take advantage of.

- Well, and it's more difficult than the founding members because women weren't working then.

And now you have women working and juggling home and family and when can they get involved in volunteer opportunities?

- So we wanna make it as easy as possible for them.

So we're not asking them to do crazy things, but we wanna make it so that they can have the opportunity to come and participate, but not do so at the detriment of their own personal life.

- Well, you're doing a good job so far.

What do you look forward to next in this journey that you're on?

- I'm not sure, the world is so full of opportunities.

It's hard to just pick one opportunity, which way to go, but I'm just excited to see the women's club open back up this September.

We're having our event vendors showcase.

So might be a little bit past everything.

- [Christine] The air date of this.

- Yes, but we have so many opportunities that we're providing vendors or organizations to come through and just have a space to gather.

I think that's the most important thing-- - So what kind of vendors?

- So vendors within the events and hospitality business.

So since we have our own event rental space, we wanna bring everyone together to network that might not normally get together and enjoy the space.

- So this is a place that you can come and have your bachelorette party or this is a place you can come and have your baby shower, those kinds of things?

All right, and wedding venues too.

- Wedding venues, we really want to, since we're doing this restoration, we really want to encourage people to come and book it for vintage smaller weddings because our space is limited.

- [Christine] So what is the capacity?

- I believe it's around 100 people.

- That's intimate, but a lot of people are doing intimate right now.

- Exactly, I had a friend that got married in their backyard and it was so beautiful.

They had their garage decorated up.

And so, being able to take advantage of these smaller weddings I think is something that maybe my generation is looking forward to, but the space is just beautiful and the natural light that comes through, it's perfect for pictures, for reveals.

Oh my gosh, I'm just so excited about it.

- Well, you're doing great things there.

Keep up the good work and for such a young girl just be so enthusiastic about the past.

Oh, of course, ha ha Well thanks for being here Hannah Hernandez and Ill hope you check out The Peoria Womens Club in its new diggs Oh well, updated diggs.

Have a good evening (bright music)