DeFuniak Springs Woman’s Club

Over a hundred years ago, on a February Saturday in 1915, a group of women gathered at the request of the mayor of DeFuniak Springs. The town needed beautification. It needed sanitation. It needed leadership.

Representatives from five local churches met at Mrs. Burris Cawthon’s home and formed what was first called the Civic League — formally founded April 17, 1915 — and later known as the DeFuniak Springs Woman’s Club.

They did not wait for someone else to fix things.

They worked with city officials to remove free-roaming livestock from downtown streets. They cleaned up refuse piles, planted gardens, improved sewer systems, and helped secure clean drinking water. For years, they operated the only public restroom in Walton County.

They brought free health and dental clinics to school children. They pushed for compulsory school attendance laws. They provided clothing and hot lunches. They helped fund fire trucks and library books. They sponsored playgrounds and mosquito control. When the Chautauqua assemblies ended, they ensured education and entertainment continued.

During WWII, meetings paused as members worked with the Red Cross. In the decades that followed, they supported disabled veterans at Eglin AFB, Special Olympics, school milk funds, Children’s Home Society, and local convalescent centers. In the 2000s, they organized the town Christmas Parade and Trick-or-Treating Around the Lake — traditions many families still cherish today.

When Hurricane Katrina evacuees arrived, they responded with meals, clothing, and medical coordination. In 2014, they opened Fashions to Share, offering affordable clothing to women in the community.

For their 100th anniversary, the club launched Women of Light, honoring women who shaped DeFuniak Springs with granite markers around the lake yard. That same year, the club received a Congressional honor, with its achievements entered into the national record.

Over time, other organizations have taken on some of the projects the club once pioneered. But the mission remains unchanged: enrich the lives of women and children and make the community a better place to live.

More than a century ago, these women understood something powerful — communities do not thrive by accident. They thrive when people join together.
In an era when many civic organizations across America are shrinking, the DeFuniak Springs Woman’s Club stands as proof of what can happen when women choose participation over isolation.

The club meets the third Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. at 23 S. 6th Street in DeFuniak Springs. All women are welcome. Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your town… is simply join.

2026 Memorial Scholarship

The DeFuniak Springs Woman’s Club is offering a $1,000 scholarship to women furthering their education at a technical/vocational school, college, or professional program.

Deadline: June 1, 2026 | Award Date: July 15, 2026
Open to Walton County residents (priority for DeFuniak Springs). The award is paid directly to the school, and recipients receive an honorary one-year club membership.

Click here to apply.

Learn more about the DeFuniak Springs Woman’s Club on their website.