History
In February 1936, Mrs. Thomas J. Starke and Mrs. W. Ambrose McGee, Jr. invited twenty-four women to join them in the home of Mrs. Starke to form The Tuckahoe Woman's Club. Mrs. Starke was elected the first president of The Tuckahoe. The charter members, all of whom lived in the Tuckahoe District of Henrico County, quickly increased the membership, making The Tuckahoe a leading club in the Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs until their withdrawal in 1955. In 1947, the Tuckahoe District residency requirement was discontinued and the membership was raised to 500.
Over the years, members were involved in community activities on behalf of The Tuckahoe and were honored for their contributions. During World War II, The Club bought War Bonds and sold them downtown. They planted victory gardens, joined the Red Cross, collected scrap metal, and entertained the military and their families.
Fundraising for a building was a primary focus in the early years of The Club. In 1946, a lot was purchased in Windsor Farms and the cornerstone for the clubhouse was laid in May 1954. A grand opening for The Tuckahoe Woman's Club’s permanent home on Dover Road was held on December 1, 1954. The mortgage was burned two years later, and the wing of the building was added in February 1957. In 1958, the adjacent lot was purchased to create the Memorial Garden.
In 1964, the Garden Clubs of Virginia, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, honored The Tuckahoe Woman's Club building as one of their selections during Garden Week. With the installation of air-conditioning in 1993, The Tuckahoe became a popular rental site for weddings, cotillion, and community events. The clubhouse was further enhanced by Mr. and Mrs. J. Harwood Cochrane’s donation of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano. In 2012, a new lighting and speaker system were installed on the stage and in the Auditorium. New floors were installed in the Auditorium and Reception Room in the summer of 2017.