Thirty-Five Women and a Redwood Roof

You're standing outside the Outdoor Art Club, at 1 West Blithedale Avenue in downtown Mill Valley. Take a look at the clubhouse in front of you, and especially at its roof. The people who wanted this building were 35 women who couldn't yet vote.

In 1902, Mill Valley was a young town with a train depot just a few minutes' walk from where you're standing. Large redwoods grew near that depot, and they were being removed. A group of 35 local women decided that was worth organizing over. They founded the Outdoor Art Club, dedicated to preserving the area's natural environment.

Consider what those women were up against. In 1902, women in California had no vote. That wouldn't come until 1911. So if you wanted a say in what your town looked like, you couldn't elect anyone. You built an organization instead. The club drew on the City Beautiful movement of the 1890s, which promoted the civic value of public beauty. These women took that idea and pointed it at their own redwoods.

Shortly after founding the club, the members commissioned a clubhouse that would reflect their values of nature, beauty and community. It was designed in 1904 by Bernard Maybeck, one of California's most influential architects, who designed both the building and its grounds. Maybeck is known for using natural materials in creative ways, and the clubhouse is a classic example of Arts and Crafts style. The roof is held up by an unusual truss system, and the building is noted for it.

The clubhouse served the whole town, not only the members. In 1904, the club established a library for townspeople here. The original library was one small room behind the stage.

The club is still here, a member-run organization that has worked to preserve natural environments and carried out community service projects. The building was listed as California Historical Landmark number 922 in 1978, a recognition for what these women built. These days it's also a popular spot for weddings, which means Maybeck's roof has probably heard more vows than speeches.

When you're ready, walk west on Sunnyside Avenue, about three minutes, to the Depot at Lytton Square, where the town's trains once set off up the mountain on a famously crooked line.