Situated on the edge of historic downtown Gloucester Court House, the Gloucester Woman’s Club building showcases over 250 years of history that includes its use as a residence beginning as early as 1770, as a mercantile and retail operation during the first half of the 19th century, as a carriage-manufacturing shop during the latter half, and its longest-held function as the headquarters of today’s civic organization. Founded in 1913, the Gloucester Woman’s Club has supported public programs in education, opportunities for girls and women, and the preservation and interpretation of its historic headquarters and other county sites.

The Gloucester Woman’s Club is an intact example of an evolved Virginia Tidewater dwelling, commercial building, and clubhouse situated within the Gloucester Downtown Historic District. Known locally for a portion of the 20th century as Long Bridge Ordinary, historical research revealed that the building was a dwelling and store, and a 2013 updated register nomination corrects inaccuracies in the previous 1973 nomination, providing an updated description of existing conditions. Originally built between 1750 and 1770, the colonial-era dwelling survives along with major early-to-mid-19th-century Federal-style additions and mid-20th-century Colonial Revival improvements and repairs. Several architectural studies by the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation were completed between 1979 and 1986, and in 1980, the Long Bridge Ordinary Foundation formed as a not-for-profit organization to assist the Gloucester Woman’s Club in preserving the building and promoting its history in Gloucester County.
[VLR Accepted: 3/21/2013; NRHP Accepted: 6/14/2013]