​The Key West Woman’s Club housed at the Hellings Curry Museum located at 319 Duval Street dedicated the front porch to women of the year Diane Eliopoulos and Patricia Neyra during a Celebration of Life for Diane on October 18th.  Diane passed away this pass April.  She loved sitting on the porch with her Woman’s Club friends.  A capital campaign spearheaded by Patricia Neyra in her honor named “saving Eleanor through Diane” raised over $66,000 for the restoration of the porch.  

​The Key West Woman’s Club Board of Directors has appointed Patricia Neyra as Director-At-Large.  Patricia is currently Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee, Chair of the Fantasy Fest Parade Viewing Dinner Party and spear headed the Woman’s Club’s first business sponsorship opportunities.  Ms. Neyra was recently awarded Woman’ Club Woman of the Year.  She is the owner of local construction company Neyra Construction and was born and raised in Key West.
 
The Hellings Curry Museum is the home of the 501 (c) (3) charity.  The Key West Woman’s Club has been a powerful positive force in our community for 108 years.  It began in 1915 with one of its main goals to get women the right to vote! 
 
In 1920 the KWWC began creating what is now The Monroe County Library, the first library in the State of Florida located on Fleming Street. Prior to building the current library on Fleming, it had several other locations including the Woman’s Club and Hellings House Museum on Duval Street.
 
The Old Island Restoration Foundation which saved the historic district was the child of the Woman’s Club.  The Garden Club was also a spin-off.  HARC and the Tree Commission also have their roots in the Woman’s Club.
 
Under the leadership of President Peggy McClain, the KWWC raised one million dollars to help start Aids Help in the 1980’s,  which has become AH of Monroe County, and continues to help many members of our community with health care and housing.  The MCC Church started its first meetings at the Woman’s Club.
 
During the last ten years, the KWWC has turned the clubhouse into the Hellings Curry Museum.  Visitors and locals are welcomed for to free tours to see what Eleanor Curry Hellings and her husband Martin Luther Hellings created in 1892 with ten thousand dollars provide by her father Willam Curry.  The KWWC has restored the entire first floor to look as it did at the turn of the century.  Plus, the members tell exciting stories about Key West and mansion’s family history.  The museum is the only Curry home that has not been converted to a hotel, restaurant or bar. 
 
To make a donation to assist with the restoration of this Key West treasure please send your check to the Key West Woman’s Club and mail to 319 Duval Street. 

 The front porch of the Hellings Curry Museum, lovingly named "Eleanor" (home of the Key West Woman's Club) is being made safe and restored. To make a donation to assist in the preservation of this beautiful historic structure located in the heart of old town Key West please mail a check to the Key West Woman's Club, 319 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040 and reference "saving Eleanor through Diane Eliopoulos”
 
The home constructed in 1892 by Captain Martin L. Hellings, is one of only a few historic houses in Key West not built of wood. Hellings was a native of Pennsylvania and a Civil War Union soldier. In 1881, Hellings married Eleanor Curry, daughter of William Curry a prominent Key West merchant and Florida's first millionaire. In 1888, Hellings became cable manager of the International Ocean Telegraph Company in Key West, an important position at the time. Before and during the Spanish American War, Hellings operated an intelligence service for the U.S. Government and provided the White House War Room with the latest news from Cuba.
​
The Key West Woman’s Club, purchased the building in 1940 for the purpose of promoting literacy and providing other charitable community services. The Woman’s Club founded and maintained Key West's first public library in this building. The KWWC continues its mission of volunteer service and financial support to local non-profits while preserving this beautiful historic brick mansion for future generations.

The Hellings Curry Museum unveiled their new logo.  The beautiful historic building located in the heart of old town Key West was painted by local artist Fran Decker.  The museum is currently under renovation as the front porch is being restored and made safe.  To make a donation to assist with the preservation of this important historic structure please send a check to The Woman’s Club of Key West, 319 Duval Street, Key West, FL  33040.  Attention “saving Eleanor through Diane”.  

​April 10, 2023 - The Key West Woman’s Club (KWWC), a volunteer service organization founded in 1915, lives up to its motto “Qui Non Proficit Deficit” by assisting Key West and Monroe County non-profits with ongoing contributions from fundraising efforts by its membership. KWWC members are dedicated to bettering the quality of life in our community. The KWWC awarded Patricia Neyra and Diane Eliopoulos the prestigious Woman of the Year at the KWWC April 5th awards luncheon.