Needlework Guild Record Books

The Needlework Guild of Rochester organized in 1891 as a group of 10 people committed to providing a minimum of two new garments annually to the organization for charitable distribution. Mrs. George Hollister was the group's leader at its founding, spending 25 years as President. She was inspired to start the Rochester Guild at the urging of her friend, Mrs. John Ward Stewart, of Philadelphia, who founded the American Needlework Guild in 1885. Initially, the garments were mostly handmade by the Guild members, but by the time of the Guild's 35th anniversary in 1926, the majority donated a cash gift that the Guild used to purchase clothing. The clothing was distributed to the needy, including victims of accidents, the elderly, and impoverished residents of all ages through a series of local agencies including hospitals, children's homes, family agencies and homes for the elderly. According to a newspaper article celebrating the 35th anniversary, the organization had over 3000 members, including 100 in a Children's Branch (the subject of this record book). The same article explains that the Children's Branch included both Children's Sewing Circles that met to make clothing and youth members who made monetary contributions. At an annual meeting on the last Saturday of October in the home of the previously mentioned Mrs. Hollister, the Children's Branch members would decide where and how their contributions would be distributed. The Children's Guild made clothing for infants a particular specialty, and many of the adult members of the Guild started out in the Children's Branch.

In 1928, Mrs. Hollister was forced to end her association with the Children's Guild. Mrs. Thomas G. Spencer, Needlework Guild vicepresident and publicity chair, partnered with the director of home economics for the Rochester City Schools, Miss Jessie A. Winchell, to create a new version of the Children's Branch. In this version, fabric was purchased by the Guild and provided to the school district, where it was used by sewing classes to make garments for the Guild. By 1931, over 200 children were enrolled in these classes. The contributed to the overall substantial contribution made by the Guild to relief efforts in Rochester during the Great Depression (in 1931, the Guild had approximately 8000 members and donated over 16,000 pieces of clothing to charity). The Guild continued to thrive after the Depression; a 1950 newspaper article states that the organization was the only charity in Rochester officially associated with the Red Cross, that it had over 4000 members, and that it distributed over 11,000 pieces of clothing annually. However, this situation rapidly changed - the organization ceased its fundraising efforts on October 1, 1953, citing the ability of other, broader-based charitable groups to now provide clothing for the needy. While the organization's sewing circles were urged to continue their work, the Guild's overall yearly membership campaign ceased. With this action, the Needlwork Guild effectively ceased to exist.