Founded in 1945 by Della Williams and Fannie Williams, the Wilfandel Club House (WCH) has long served as a gathering place for Black Angelenos, and as a self-described “repository of memory.” Since its first meeting in November 1948, the site has been more than a clubhouse, it has been a center of community life, where members have hosted cultural events, supported charitable causes, funded scholarships, and welcomed generations of Angelenos through its doors.

In this episode of Brent Leggs on the Go—the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund's YouTube series , Action Fund executive director Brent Leggs visits the 1912 Mediterranean Revival club house during the Club’s 80th anniversary in 2025.

The Action Fund has supported the Wilfandel Club House for nearly a decade. In 2018, it awarded the Club $75,000 for essential infrastructure upkeep. That investment was followed in 2024 by a Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation to support a broad range of needs including stewardship planning, architectural consultants, historic archives, interpretation needs, and capacity building.

Now, a new chapter is underway. In 2026, the L.A. Women's Landmarks project (a partnership of the National Trust’s Where Women Made History initiative and the Los Angeles Conservancy) and the Wilfandel Club are excited to work together on a Historic-Cultural Monument designation for the Club. This designation would be one of 10 new HCMs advancing a new model for designations that center women’s history as a core element of historical significance, while bringing long-overdue recognition to the Club and its founders.

Watch the video below to tour the Wilfandel Club House with Brent Leggs and Carrie Henley, president of the Wilfandel Club.