Women?s club serving soup, pie Nov. 5

The Fairfield Women?s Club will host its annual soup and pie luncheon for the community from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 5 at the McElhinny House.

Vegetable beef and cheesy potato soups will be served, along with various pies.

Delivery- and carry-out orders are available. Call 472-5762 or 919-5761 for deliveries.

Proceeds will be used to maintain the historic McElhinny House.

The McElhinny House was built for pioneer merchant Robert McElhinny. He acquired the building site Jan. 15, 1846, purchasing two lots for $60. Fairfield was less than 7 years old, and Iowa was still several months away from statehood on Dec. 28, 1846.

Most sources list construction of the house as beginning in 1846, with completion between 1852 and 1857. It was Fairfield?s first showplace.

Robert McElhinny, once the largest private landowner in Jefferson County, died May 6, 1878, at the age of 74.

The dwelling remained in the McElhinny family for 69 years before it was sold. It had various owners and was even used as a school before it was purchased in 1933 by the Fairfield Women?s Club through a bequest from the estate of Elizabeth McElhinny, daughter of Robert McElhinny. In her will, McElhinny gave $10,000 to the club to purchase a clubhouse.

Since then, not only have Fairfield Women?s Club meetings been held in the historic house, but it has been the setting for parties, weddings, anniversaries, receptions, reunions, club meetings and many other events.

The McElhinny House was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.