The Leonard Club is a long-standing civic and social club in the village of Annisquam (Gloucester, Massachusetts). Here’s a detailed description, and its role within our community:
Purpose & Activities
- Our Club’s stated purpose is; “to promote the civic and social welfare of Gloucester.”
- We hold meetings of special interest, every 2nd Saturday of each month, at 12;00 noon (September through June). We offer a venue for discussions, community-engagement, and social gatherings.
- We're housed in the village’s historic Village Hall at 34 Leonard Street, alongside the Annisquam Village Hall Association and the Village Library. The Leonard Club Room, has been used to hold meetings for decades, and has been part of the fabric of village life.
Historical & Community Context
- The Village Hall building (where the Leonard Club Room resides) has been central to Annisquam life since the early 19th century. In archival material from the early 20th century, the Leonard Club is referenced as a meeting space “which greets all who cross the bridge” into our village".
- The Club has thus been a regular social-forum for residents of Annisquam and the larger Gloucester area.
Location & Setting
- Because our room is located within the Village Hall, the space connects to numerous other community functions — library, art gallery, historical society — making the Club part of a broader hub of civic life.
Why It Matters
- The Leonard Club provides an important forum for community cohesion: a place where residents can come together, engage with civic issues, attend special interest meetings, and socialize. The Leonard Club has assisted with projects in the past, like the reconstruction of the Annisquam Footbridge, bringing the public sewer to Annisquam, and today, lighting the Footbridge during the holidays, and cleaning up Memorial Woods.
- By being embedded in a historic building and village setting, it helps anchor the sense of tradition and continuity in Annisquam.
- It complements other local organizations (library, art gallery, historical society) in strengthening the village’s identity as a historic, and socially engaged community.
Important Notes & Tips