Organized in 1870, the Greenfield Massachusetts, chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was founded to help local Civil War veterans in need. This post was amed after Edwin E. Day, Captain of the 10th Regiment Co. G, Greenfield Guards, and it had 20 charter members, all of whom were Civil War veterans, though not necessarily from Greenfield. They initially met in the “G.A.R. Hall” on Bank Row in Greenfield’s center. By 1900, after a revived interest in their cause, they purchased this building, located at the corner of Hope and Main Streets.
The Girls’ Club was founded in 1895, as an extension of a Second Congregational Church social group. Initially membership was open only to girls over the age of 14 who were members of the church. In 1898, The Girls’ Club opened membership to all girls regardless of ethnicity or religious persuasion. The rooms within the home were used for classes, both practical and cultural, taught by men and women from the community. The Girls’ Club was incorporated in 1917.
