Twentieth Century Club
The beautiful building for Reno's first women's club was constructed on First Street in 1926.
The Twentieth Century Club building at 335 West First Street was erected in 1925 by Roush and Belz to serve Reno's first women's club. Part of a national movement, the 20th Century Club was organized in Reno in 1894, and was open to all women of good repute, and of course the most prominent women of the community were members. Prior to 1930, the club was involved in many causes, ranging from passing laws prohibiting spitting on sidewalks to education and social issues. It also served as a forum for discussion groups dealing with current events, the arts, literature, and more. Membership in the 20th Century Club peaked at 1,000 in its heyday.
The clubhouse was also utilized by the entire community as a rental space for parties, wedding and other functions. During World War II, it was rented to the USO. Enough money was generated by these rentals for the Club to hire a housekeeper and caterer to live on the premises.
Fred M. Schadler, a prominent Reno architect, designed the building. His design for the club was drawn from the Prairie School, which utilized strong horizontal lines, with the addition of Classical elements, such as tall and prominent arched windows. The front entrance was reconfigured at some point, and an entrance ramp and door were added to the center of the front facade. Today, the one-story building, situated on the western limits of the downtown core near the Truckee River, is the smallest structure in its vicinity, with the grounds of St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral to the north and east.
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