St. Clair Shores Sentinel | Published October 12, 2025
ST. CLAIR SHORES — The St. Clair Shores Study Club was founded about 1934, and membership was limited to 30 women. The aim of the Club was “peace, charity, equity, and a higher civilization.” In practical terms, this meant the group met for lectures and discussions, raised money for projects in the Village of St. Clair Shores and volunteered their time, generally trying to contribute to their community.
One of their first projects was the collection of books for a public library, which they initially staffed and opened in 1935. They met at the home of one of the Study Club members, Mrs. Russell (Meta) Srigley, at 21518 Yale Street. The house is pictured here, from a photo from the 1970s and is still standing.
Both Russell and Meta Pardo Srigley were Canadians, born in Ontario. She was born in Blenheim in 1882. He was born on Pelee Island in 1889 (Pelee is the largest island in Lake Erie and the southernmost populated point in Canada). The Yale house was built in 1933, according to city records, and the Srigley’s lived there when Meta began working on the library project with the other women of the Study Club.
The library opened September 27, 1935, with just over 500 books, in a room in the St. Clair Shores municipal building. The library was open Mondays and Fridays from 3-5 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. The current building opened in 1959.
To view other historic photographs, go to sbrb-montage.auto-graphics.com.
— Submitted by Heidi Christein, archivist, St. Clair Shores Public Library