In the fall of 1955,
a fire raged thru the Maugus Club and burned it beyond
recognition. Built in 1897, it had been the town's first social club. After the fire, it was rebuilt with a bowling alley in the basement, and a large ballroom on the main floor. Hundreds of Wellesley students learned the fox trot, the waltz and the cha-cha-cha under the stern supervision of "Fergie", one of Wellesley's most famous personalities. Fergie, in her lace ecru and black ball gowns, allowed us to learn what the adjective "buxom" meant.
The
debate continues: did the boys wear white gloves because they couldn't get their hands clean or did mothers worry that their hands would sweat holding on to the girls?
Today the Maugus Club
is a thriving squash and racquet ball club and is home
to an active day care center.
