Members of The Villagers recently presented a check to the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove for renovations to their historically significant building. The $5,000 grant funded restoration work of the entrance as well as lighting. As a strict fiscal policy, The Villagers present funds when designated projects are complete.
The grant supports renovation of the stage and surrounding area allowing for expansion and replacement of windows with French doors, restoring the original design, enhancing ventilation, and allowing better access to the garden area.
Through the years, many Coconut Grove Woman’s Club restoration projects have been funded by The Villagers including restoration of the foundation and installation of new windows so the facility could be air-conditioned. Other funded projects include: a lighting grid, refinishing floors, new doors and front entry, painting, and bringing the property into compliance with modern building codes, and ADA requirements.
The Villagers Inc. is Miami-Dade County’s oldest historic preservation organization, founded in 1966. The not-for-profit all-volunteer group, originally formed to save Coral Gables’ Douglas Entrance, has assisted locally endangered sites with 170 grants. Scholarships are also awarded annually to university students studying historic preservation. Through educating, advocating, fundraising, restoration, and documentation The Villagers continue a 55-year tradition of service for the preservation of local historic sites.