This weekend, a celebration of the Regal Plumb, also known as Plumb Place, doubled as a fundraising effort for the agency carrying on the legacy built over a century inside the historic home.
The Regal Plumb Founders Day event at the property located at 224 East 6th Avenue welcomed hundreds of visitors through the home’s doors throughout the afternoon. Once entering, residents were able to enjoy refreshments and live music as they toured the home which contains over 100 years of history both as the home of US Senator Preston Plumb and Carrie Southwick Plumb and as Emporia’s longtime shelter for women in crises up until the dissolution of Plumb Place in 2020.
In 2022, the home was sold to former Emporia business owner Chris Stanley who spent the last several years updating and maintaining the property converting it into a bed and breakfast. In addition to showcasing the work done on the home, Saturday’s event also served as a fundraiser for Southwick House, the agency that is expanding the Plumb Place mission locally.
Proceeds will go towards the Southwick Capital Campaign which is over the halfway mark towards its $3.6 million goal to build a new transitional housing facility in the 100 block of East Logan for women and families in crisis situations. Stanley says using the Founders Day event to support the Southwick cause made a lot of sense to her as she has seen the need for Southwick’s services up close since buying the property.
Southwick Executive Director Susan Brinkman was grateful for the community’s support and the opportunity provided by Stanley Saturday. She tells KVOE News that, more than just a fundraiser, the event was also a great opportunity to engage with residents and further share their mission and goals.
Fundraising totals are pending, however, Brinkman says they had roughly 200 visitors pass through the home for the event Saturday.
