Shell Beach Library remodel dedication is today Weds Jan 7 at 2pm. Here I am with the beautiful and talented Victoria Dale, the librarian, who contacted me about historic pictures for the library wall, and we created a montage that will be on display today and forever (lol). Go see them. and here, just for your entertainment is the history of the building that houses the Shell Beach Library. GREAT story of some great people. I presented this story at a meeting in the building in 2010. Enjoy. The History of the Shell Beach Community Hall & Veteran’s Building February 5, 2010 Effie McDermott The community building we are meeting in tonight was constructed in WWII at Camp San Luis, where it served as a hospital building. A few years after the war, in 1949, it was moved to Shell Beach in 9 pieces and remodeled to meet the need of this growing community as a place for groups to gather for meetings, programs, dinners, minstrel shows, bake sales, card parties, community Christmas parties and square dances. It was dedicated in October 1949. The beginnings of the development of this community center started around a campfire on a vacant lot on Windward, behind the building. The first organized group in the fledgling community of Shell Beach was the Campfire Girls and Bluebirds. In May of 1946, under the guidance of Genevieve Kalar and Irene Hussey, working with the Natoma Council of Campfire Girls, 16 girls formed the group that received the charter as Otayami Camp Fire Girls. A Mr. and Mrs. Bowman donated a lot on Windward for their activities. Initially, they laid a 20’ x 24’ foundation and began a club house, but realized it was too small and would be immediately outgrown. A few years later, in 1949, facilitated by Mr. Walter A. Swall, a 73-year-old retired rancher from the San Joaquin Valley, husband of Helen Swall, the primary movers and shakers behind the development of the Shell Beach community building were 12 women, of which Mrs. Swall was one, who met monthly in their homes called themselves a book club. When the need for a community building became apparent, there was no group or government agency to step up to the plate. These ladies put down their books and started a membership drive to form a woman’s club. The purpose of the Shell Beach Woman’s Club was to have a legitimate organization that could raise money and take on debt to have a community hall built. For 5 months, while the building was being acquired, moved and made ready, they met Mattie’s restaurant, which is now McLintock’s. Coming together as a group of about 45 women, at their first meeting they voted to purchase the building. Records show that the project cost about $7,400.00, consisting of the building at $6,129.89 and the lots at $1,258.05. Their monthly payment to Walter Swall was $40. The first slate of officers were Ruth Belloni president, Rose Pavitt vice president, Ruth Curtzwiler recording secty, Helen Swall corresponding secty, Rena Webb treasurer, Lillian Culver Parliamentarian. Genevieve Kalar was appointed to chair Ways and Means. At their fourth monthly meeting they chose the color green for the roof of the building, and agreed to pool their books and establish a library, which would occupy a 12-foot square room in the building. No funding was available from the county at that time. Mrs. Peck, Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Swall agreed to act as volunteer librarians, who were replaced in November by Mrs. Florence Teeter, who was an active board member and also kept library hours of Fridays 3-5pm and Wednesdays 3-5pm and 7-9pm. Ruth Curtzwiler followed, who served many years as librarian. Mr. Swall agreed to purchase the building and fund the project to move it to the lots, but requested community involvement and volunteer labor. The ladies encouraged their husbands to form a men’s club, which they did, and the men handled the physical construction of the facility. Mr. Swall, though partly disabled with arthritis, worked 9-hours a day on the project to see it through and completed it in 5 months. The woman’s club bought it from him, accepted the debt and agreed to make the payments. At that time Shell Beach consisted of a number of small homes and businesses, with the grocery store, post office and Greyhound station being under one roof. The population when all the second homes of people from the valley were filled was about 1000. Mr. Swall looked into developing the Campfire Girls lot on Windward, but determined it was too small. Instead, he located these two lots on Leeward and found a hospital building at Camp San Luis Obispo that was available for moving. With a volunteer local house mover and with volunteer labor of the members of the community, and with financial backing from Mr. Swall, the purchase of the lots and the moving of the building became a reality. No government money or taxes were used, except in the form of the war surplus building. Mr. Swall bought the lots, oversaw the moving and construction, then sold the property to the Shell Beach Woman’s Club and carried the mortgage. It was called the Shell Beach Community Building. The church that was placed on the former Campfire Girls lot was called the Shell Beach Community Church. This was a time of tremendous civic fervor in Shell Beach. Many said the greatest benefit of the Community Building was that it brought the community together and fostered great civic pride and enthusiasm. The ladies of the Shell Beach Woman’s Club successfully raised funds for several years to maintain the building, continue to furnish and improve it, pay the insurance, taxes and utilities, and to make the mortgage payments to Mr. Swall. The Campfire Girls sold their lot and used their money to improve their space in this building. The building was used by the library, which became part of the county library system, the Woman’s Club, Campfire Girls, Bluebirds, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, the Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Association, and other groups. Though they did a sterling job in raising money and keeping the building hopping as a community center, once raising $325 by putting on a minstrel show, the ladies began to tire under the pressure. In 1955 District 4 Supervisor Sheehy, in whose district Shell Beach then was located, offered the assistance of county funds that were earmarked for veteran’s memorial buildings. A requirement, however, was county ownership of the property. He suggested that the county take over the building, pay off the mortgage and continue its use as a community building. An American Legion post was formed by the numerous WWI and WWII veterans living in the community. This was a critical factor to identify it as a veteran’s building in order to qualify for the veterans’ funds. On May 17, 1955, the Shell Beach Woman’s Club voted to turn the building over to the county. The county also acquired lots on Pearl, between Leeward and Pier, and created a parking lot for the building. Twenty-seven years later, in 1982, the county sold the building to the city for $1.00, and the city then contracted with the Shell Beach Woman’s Club to manage the building. The community continued to make good use of the building. A few years ago the woman’s club dissolved its charter due to most of its members being well up in years. Its membership, after about 60 active years in the community, had dwindled back down to about 12 elderly ladies. City Hall now handles bookings for the building. It continues to be used almost every day and night of the week by groups, classes, programs, dances, wedding receptions, family reunions and other parties. This building is now getting close to 70 years old. Because it is a plain looking building from the outside, one would never guess what a colorful history it has had. We are very pleased that we are meeting here tonight, and I am pleased to share this story with you. I thank the ladies of the late Shell Beach Woman’s Club for sharing this information. Effie McDermott Friends of Price House, president
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:31:02 +0000