Fairfield Women’s Club fundraising for McElhinny House with garage sale

FAIRFIELD – Members of the Fairfield Women’s Club have been going the extra mile this summer to maintain the historic McElhinny House.

The club hosts regular fundraisers to pay for upkeep of the building, which was built in the 1850s and is considered the town’s first “showplace.” The Fairfield Women’s Club acquired it in 1933, and for many years the club has hired a live-in caretaker to perform the duties necessary to maintain the house and host the other clubs that use it such as the Lions Club, Fairfield Kiwanis, PTO, Tri-T and others.

However, the club has been without a caretaker since March, and that has required club members to fill the void. Board members are doing the cooking and cleaning at the house, and serving meals to the organizations that eat there. Member Becky Thompson and her husband Chad are mowing the lawn and doing the weed-whacking.

In addition to its annual fundraisers like its plant and cookie sales, ham ball and casserole meals, and Election Day luncheon, the club occasionally hosts garage sales, too. It’s holding one this weekend from Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 29-31. The event will run from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

“We’re hoping to close early on Saturday,” joked the club’s treasurer Jean Keller, anticipating that the club will sell out of its wares.

The McElhinny House is located at 300 N. Court St.

The garage sale will feature kitchen items, plates, cups, glasses, decorations and Christmas materials. Member Kay Unkrich said many of the items came from the club’s storage room. Keller added that a lot came from members who donated from their recent garage sales. All proceeds from the garage sale will go to the Fairfield Women’s Club.

The Union asked the club’s newest member, Rachel Brown, if they had a fundraising goal for this garage sale.

“The goal is to get rid of everything,” she said.

The Fairfield Women’s Club has about 60 active members, and often gets about 30-35 for its luncheons. Brown, who moved to Fairfield with her husband Scott last year to take over Behner Funeral Home, said she had never belonged to a women’s club before until a friend invited her to check out the Fairfield Women’s Club.

“I wanted to get to know people, and the person who invited me to women’s club said she thought it would be something I’d enjoy,” Brown said. “I did enjoy it, so I’ve kept coming back.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com