The Washington Valley Social Club was a community organization in Morris Township, New Jersey between 1914 and 1926. Named for the farming community in which its residents lived, the Social Club was one of many groups to call the (now historic) Washington Valley Schoolhouse its home. The schoolhouse building, located "at the fork of Washington Valley Road and School House Lane" has been a "focal point of the valley" since the first wooden building was erected in 1813. When the wood framed building was lost in a fire around 1869, the current red brick structure replaced it.
The building itself has been the host to many community groups since the 19th century. It served as the meeting place for the Washington Valley Debating Society (men only) from 1856-1876; it operated from 1869-1913 as a school for children aged 5-17 years; for ten years in the 1860's it hosted practice sessions for the Lafayette Brass Band; and according to Barbara and Becky Hoksins in
When the Washington Valley Schoolhouse ceased to function as a school building in 1913, and with the permission of the Morris Township Board of Education, the Washington Valley Social Club organized in 1914. The Social Club continued the use of the building for community activities. When the Social Club disbanded in 1926, members of that group soon formed the Washington Valley Community Association. In the meantime however, and in fear of losing the property to a commerical interest, the women of the Home Economics Club, wrote a Constitution and By-laws were drawn up for the incorporation of the Washington Valley Community Association. The women of the Home Ecomonics Club provided the impetus while members of the Community Association provided the funds, to lease the Schoolhouse from the Morris Township Board of Education, thereby assuming responsibility for the maintenance and preservation of the Schoolhouse.
So for twelve years, from 1914-1926, on two Friday evenings a month, around tables provided by the Board of Education, the members of the Washington Valley Social Club met. The group would open with a business meeting and the singing of the first verse of
Initial membership fees were 25¢, and monthly dues were 10¢. Those joining the last meeting night of the month would pay the membership fee and 5¢ dues. Children 12 years of age and over could become members, paying the regular adult membership fee and monthly dues. Children under 10 years of age and accompanied by their parents were not charged any admission or dues. Visitors, vouched for by members, were admitted to the clubroom for 10¢. In 1920, an amendment to Chapter II, Section I of the by-laws stipulated a $2.00 initial membership fee for new members.
Each January, the Club would elect officers, who would hold their office for a period of six months, except for the Treasurer, who held office for one year, and the Trustees, who held office for nine months. Offices were held for the following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, Door Keeper, Trustees (abolished in January 1916), Good and Welfare Committee. From time to time, other committees, such as the Entertainment Committee, would be formed to take care of tasks such as getting estimates for painting and repair work on the schoolhouse, seeking prices for the purchase of a new piano or oil stove, purchasing decorations for parties, or finding live entertainment for the Club's bigger social events.
Activities of the Club ranged from evenings of cards, checkers, dominoes, and pinochle, to dances, contests with prizes (spelling contests, "bean bag" contests, "progressive Euchres"), Box Socials, bazaars, masquerades, picnics, and trips. By the 1920s, live music was also provided at major events, instead of just recorded music played on the Club's Victrola.
The Washington Valley Social Club shared responsibility with the Sunday School for the purchase and upkeep of a piano, buying a felt cover for it and paying for annual tuning. In the eleven years they were active, the Club went through two pianos and innumerable Victrola needles and records.
The Club also gathered regularly to perform routine maintenance on the Schoolhouse and grounds. Men volunteered to arrive early to light fires in the woodstove, and men and women alike volunteered to fill and light the oil lamps.
By 1920, instead of doing the cleaning and maintenance work themselves, the Club was paying a janitor on a regular basis. Club members still scheduled clean-up days before big social events, but they no longer performed routine chores such as lighting the wood stove or cleaning the oil lamps.
In 1917, the Washington Valley Social Club had, on average, over $50 in its treasury. They began to look beyond the needs of the schoolhouse, making occasional donations to charitable organizations. In October of 1917, a donation of $10.00 was made to the Red Cross, and in November of that same year, two gift boxes were sent to soldiers for Christmas.
Although the Washington Valley Social Club continued to meet through World War I, the war took its toll on the attitudes and behavior of Club members. Cake was cut from the list of refreshments in December 1917, because of the "sugar famine." In January 1918, a motion was made
In July 1924 the Club moved to hold a discussion of the welfare of the Club. At its August meeting, it was decided that meetings would be held only once a month. From this point, until the Club disbanded in 1926, the group became more self-serving, using funds from the Club's bank account to have ice cream at each meeting, or go out as a group for "chop suey," after the business portion of the meeting concluded. A big group trip of dinner and tickets to the Schubert Theater was also made in April 1925.
The Washington Valley Social Club Records document the By-Laws, memberships, financial records, and activities of the Washington Valley Social Club from January 1915 through April 1926. Also present is a songbook for the Washington Valley Sunday School, which shared the schoolhouse with the Washington Valley Social Club. The songbook was published in 1872. On its spine the book is labelled as belonging to the Washington Valley Sunday School in 1874.
This single series collection is arranged in one manuscript box.
This collection is open to researchers. Records may be copied for use in individual scholarly or personal research, however, as with all materials in the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use material from the collection. Material from the Washington Valley Social Club Records may be photocopied, but because this material is a permanent part of the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center's collections, researchers are advised to photocopy with care, using only the edge copier for bound material.
The Washington Valley Social Club Records were donated to the Morristown and Morris Township's Library Local History Department in 1996 when a carpenter doing renovations on a Chester (New Jersey) garage discovered them in the walls of the structure. Additional materials acquired in 2001.
[item], [folder title]. Washington Valley Social Club Records, 1874-1926. North Jersey History and Genealogy Center, The Morristown and Morris Township Library. Morristown, NJ.
Finding Aid arranged by C. Jochem, 1996; Reviewed and revised by A. Leab Martin, 2001; Encoded by M. McMahon Dawson, Summer 2009.