Women's Institute 'Hut' frontage
Rebuilt from a former cordite storage hut purchased from Faversham Gunpowder Mills, this building was always referred to as the W.I. ‘hut’. It was in fact, quite sizeable, measuring 45 feet deep x 35 feet wide x 11 feet high, exclusive of a 9 foot-wide annex for kitchen, classroom etc. It was thought it would be capable of seating 200 people, and the purchase cost was £60. By the time it was brought to Westerham, erected, Committee room and kitchen divided off, lavatory built, a new floor laid down, lighting and heating and plumbing carried out and the walls distempered, the cost was round about £600.
From the W.I. minute book ‘…this is how we paid for it. The ground, one eighth of an acre was given to us. One member gave us £200 – a wedding present which had been saved up for twenty five years for any cause which specially appealed to her. Those members who could afford it gave special gifts in money. One and all took a money box in which to put 2d per week, and we borrowed from our deposit account £40…’
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