Century Landmark Heritage
Nampa's cultural and social hub was formed in the early 1900s at The Woman's Century Clubhouse. This historic residence serves as an American example of Edwardian architecture in the wild west. From bright, inviting living areas to cozy, intimate rooms, every aspect of the home is being renovated and celebrated to maintain the profound historical significance of this local treasure.
We welcome you to explore a historical landmark that embodies the all-American invitation, "Go West!" Whether leaving the east coast or Europe, early pioneers and pilgrims came with an optimistic spirit and a sense of enduring connection to their homelands, often creating new towns and homes that reflected the old. When we host our guests, our mission is to link the present generation with the storied roots of our hometown.
Alexander Duffes, the founder of the City of Nampa, first homesteaded and patented the land which became the site for the Woman's Century Club.
The Dewey Palace Hotel was a huge boon to Nampa, at a cost of $250,000 to construct and open to the public. A community-wide grand opening was held February 20, 1903. For decades, it was the public's preferred celebratory space.
Nampa’s history began in the early 1880s when the construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad transformed the sagebrush landscape into a crucial train water stop. In 1885, homesteaders Alexander and Hannah Duffes founded the townsite, forming the Nampa Land and Improvement Company to divide the land into a grid aligned with the tracks. Because Duffes refused to sell lots to saloons, the fast-growing settlement earned the early nickname “New Jerusalem.” The town was completely revitalized in the 1890s and early 1900s by the introduction of the Phyllis and Ridenbaugh canals, followed by the completion of the Deer Flat Reservoir in 1909. This extensive irrigation system successfully converted the arid desert into a thriving agricultural hub, fueling a boom in farming, dairy production, and local businesses that cemented Nampa’s future.
Nampa's Star Livery Feed and Sale Stable. The present site is Nampa Fire Dept. Station 1 at 923 1st Street South, located nearby the Clubhouse.
Nampa's early railroad station, built between 1887 and 1903. The Clubhouse is within walking distance of the Trail Depot Museum hosted by the Canyon County Historical Society.
Thomas and Aimee Somermier & Family
The First Family Home
We have no photos of the Somermier family, but imagine them as shown here, before departing Cincinnati for their western adventure.
Born in Ohio in the late 19th century, Thomas Grange Somermier and Aimee Magdelene Jergens began their married life together with a 1902 wedding in Hamilton, Ohio, followed by the birth of their daughter, Anna, in 1904. Far to the west, a grand house was being constructed on the corner of 2nd Street South and 17th Avenue South in Nampa—but for another dozen years, the family was likely still miles away, in Cincinnati, where in 1916 a son, Thomas Jr., was born. Perhaps the arrival of a new baby prompted a longing for a fresh start out west. Though their exact motivations are lost to time, the 1925 and 1926 Polk's Directories for Canyon County provide our first definitive proof that the Somermiers had finally made our house their home.
By 1926, however, the family dynamic shifted into an intriguing puzzle. Genealogy sources reveal that over the next decade, Thomas Sr. traveled extensively across the globe--he is recorded in Honolulu, San Francisco, Vermont, Vancouver, and Manila. History leaves us to wonder whether Aimee and the children ever traveled alongside him, as well as the reasons behind his sudden wanderlust. But, Aimee is found in paperwork in the 1930s in Canyon County; around that time, the Woman's Century Club may have begun meeting in our home. Perhaps Aimee was a member and hosted the Club in her parlor? What we do know is that their chapter in the home concluded during the Great Depression; deed records show that on March 30, 1935, with property taxes owing since 1930, Thomas Sr. and Aimee officially deeded the house to the Woman's Century Club. Thomas and Aimee were then residents of Los Angeles County, California, and apparently remained there for the balance of their lives.
Woman's Century Club of Nampa
The Clubhouse
Founded in January 1900 by Henrietta Mansfield and her friends, the Woman’s Century Club was established as a community service organization named to honor the first month of the new century and to inspire personal civic responsibility. The 27 original charter members immediately set out to enrich the growing town by sponsoring a library, which culminated in the successful opening of the Nampa Carnegie Library in 1908. Over the decades, the Club established itself as a steadfast champion of literacy, literary projects, and early education by founding one of the area's first public kindergartens. Their sprawling legacy of local service includes securing the land for Kurtz Park and the Lakeview Rose Garden, as well as helping establish the Idaho Youth Ranch. Beyond civic philanthropy, the Club fostered cultural enrichment and community connection by utilizing its clubhouse as a public venue for artists, musicians, and speakers, while generously opening the space to local nonprofits like the Red Cross and Girl Scout troops, and hosting countless private weddings and receptions. Many Nampans recall the Clubhouse fondly as the place they gave blood for the wartime cause, timidly performed in childhood piano concerts, or happily married their sweethearts.
Club members honoring the past in period attire (year unknown).
Nampa Girl Scout Troop #3 meeting in the Clubhouse (year unknown).
Lawrence Manning and Betty Mallorca
A Place for Art
By the 21st century, downtown Nampa stood at a quiet crossroads. As the surrounding farmlands evolved into bustling suburbs, the historic core became quiet, forgotten by modern commerce. It was a pivotal moment for the community, a time that called for visionary hearts to preserve the soul of Nampa's downtown and neighborhoods.
Fortunately, Nampa has always had room for the bold and the creative. In 2017, the Woman’s Century Club passed the torch to a pair of newly arrived artists who instantly fell in love with the building's historic character. Lawrence Manning, a fine arts photographer, and Betty Mallorca, a painter, saw more than just a house; they saw a treasure worth saving.
With a passion for beauty, they enthusiastically adopted the home and breathed new life into its walls. Through their dedicated custodianship, the home and its gardens have blossomed once again. Betty and Lawrence infused it with modern comforts while preserving its storied past and then shared it with the public, hosting artists and art-lovers for events and overnight accommodations, opening it to the public as an AirBNB and for other events. Under their custodianship, it blossomed again.
From Betty's website: "About five years after I moved to Idaho, I realized that I hadn't made any paintings of my new surroundings. I created a dozen pieces in a series titled, Oh, Idaho! Landscapes from the Road, which was first exhibited at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise. The series celebrated the wide open spaces and the agricultural focus of this state. We have now lived in the Treasure Valley of Idaho for more than a decade--long enough to see explosive growth, and long enough to see what things stay the same."
Visit her at https://www.bettymallorca.com
Visit him at https://www.lawrencemanning.com
Gordon and Amy Knight
Our Next Chapter
Amy’s connection to the West runs deep, rooted in a pioneer legacy that dates back to the 1850s. With great-grandparents who settled in Nampa before 1910, she often wonders if they walked these same streets or shared a greeting with the original Somermier family.
Amy's and Gordon's personal history with the home began in the 1990s at a family wedding, sparking a decades-long admiration every time they drove past its facade. They quietly nurtured a dream of one day becoming its stewards, and after raising their children, they decided to turn that wish into reality. Today, Amy and Gordon are proud to embrace the challenge of being the home's next custodians, dedicated to continuing its beautiful restoration.
Our lives are a blend of creativity and service—Gordon is a potter and kindergarten teacher, while Amy serves the Intermountain West as a business and real estate attorney. Beyond just a continued renovation, this project is a reflection of our values. We believe in the importance of reinhabiting the hearts of our small-town communities. As suburban sprawl and big-box stores expand into the surrounding farmlands, we feel a deep responsibility to make conscious choices that reinvigorate our community core and preserve its history in downtown Nampa. So, today, we are returning the house to its original purpose: a vibrant family home. While we reside on the first floor, we are honored to carry forward Lawrence and Betty’s vision by keeping the second floor open as a welcoming "home away from home" for those visiting Nampa. Join us on the journey!
Through the Lens
Whatever
happened
to
Aimee's
piano?
When the Somermiers departed the Clubhouse for California, they left behind a grand piano — a gift that would be cherished for generations. The Woman’s Century Club kept and played it for many years, and countless Nampans enjoyed its music during that time. Eventually, the Club passed the instrument on to Betty and Lawrence, who continued the tradition by offering it for public use at community events and to their Airbnb guests. Now the piano has come to us. But with a family piano already in our home — and neither of us being players — we knew this remarkable instrument deserved a future filled with music rather than silence.
This is no ordinary piano...
The instrument bears markings from Cincinnati, the Somermiers’ hometown, along with stamps reading Grand Prix Paris 1900 and Grand Prize St. Louis 1904. Our research revealed that it is a Baldwin Model M grand piano from the early 20th century — a rare and historically significant piece.
These engraved awards indicate that Baldwin earned first prize at two major international exhibitions: the Paris Exposition of 1900 and the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904. Both events were global showcases for craftsmanship, innovation, and musical excellence.
Built in Cincinnati during Baldwin’s golden era (roughly 1900–1940), Model M pianos were celebrated for their resonant tone, smooth action, and elegant design. The award engravings are not decorative flourishes — they are tangible proof of the piano’s competitive success and the artistry of the craftsmen who created it. Instruments bearing these specific competition marks are considered rare collector’s items. You can see a close-up of these features in the slideshow aboive
Today, the piano begins a new chapter. Betty, Lawrence, Amy, and Gordon are donating it to MOSAICS Public School, where it will be played, appreciated, and loved by students for many decades to come.
Please join us in the audience as MOSAICS' band director plays it for a last time in the Clubhouse by viewing the above video.