Historic Woman's Club Finds Its Purpose: The 1921 Tea & Coffee House

After decades of serving the community, followed by a considerably shorter but more expensive period of being a city-owned building in search of a purpose, the historic Woman's Club is getting a new life.

The century-old landmark will reopen as The 1921 Tea & Coffee House, an upscale café, tea room and gathering place overlooking the park.

Built in 1921 and once home to the county's first library, the building has long been one of downtown's most significant historic structures. The City acquired the property for $450,000 after a contentious process involving a statewide preservation trust, threatened condemnation proceedings and considerable public debate over who should own the building and how it should be preserved.

Once the dust settled, City officials discovered another small complication: owning the building was considerably easier than restoring it.

Early estimates contemplated approximately $230,000 in rehabilitation work. More extensive evaluation of the century-old structure ultimately put the investment required to properly restore and modernise the property closer to $700,000 to $1 million.

Under the Old Notcross approach, this would have represented an excellent opportunity for a multiyear feasibility study, several community engagement sessions and perhaps a blue-ribbon committee charged with developing recommendations for a future committee.

But this is the new Notcross.

Officials instead asked a surprisingly straightforward question: what if we fixed the building and put something in it?

The answer is The 1921.

The restored building will retain its historic brick exterior, original architectural character and prominent entrance while receiving the structural, mechanical and interior improvements necessary to give the landmark another century of useful life.

Inside, The 1921 will feature premium coffees, a curated selection of teas from around the world, pastries, sandwiches and light fare. A traditional tea service will be offered in an intimate parlour setting.

Outside, new landscaping and a garden patio with tables and umbrellas will take advantage of one of the building's greatest assets: its location directly across from the park. The goal is to create the kind of place where residents can have coffee in the morning, meet friends for afternoon tea, or sit outside overlooking downtown.

The building's history will remain part of the experience. Displays inside will recognise the Woman's Club, the property's role as the county's first library, and its place in the development of the community.

Most importantly, the City will not operate the coffee shop.

A private hospitality operator will lease and operate The 1921, allowing the City to preserve an important public asset while putting the property into productive commercial use.

City officials confirmed that no municipal committee will participate in selecting the coffee beans.

The project represents one of the first visible examples of what officials are calling the Notcross Reversal — the City's emerging philosophy that historic preservation, economic development and actually getting things done do not necessarily have to be opposing concepts.

For years, Notcross was A Place to Imagine.

At The 1921, residents will finally be able to sit down, order a cappuccino and enjoy something that actually happened.