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The MacDowell Music Club took shape in 1907, growing out of interest generated by the Apollo Club and the Old North State Orchestra. Both groups drew on Mitchell College musicians and local businessmen who were accomplished non-professional players. Among the driving forces behind the club's founding were the late Charles E. Mills, a merchant, and the late Dr. C. A. Turner, a dentist. The club was created so that a "cultural group of women musicians" could "meet in the afternoon." Charter members included Miss Katherine Gaines, the first president, along with Mrs. Flake Carlton, Miss Jessie Fowler, Mrs. Ben Long, Miss Mary Scott, Mrs. M. C. Wood, Mrs. A. P. Steele, Miss Rose Stephany, Mrs. William Wallace and Miss Louise Sidel. The MacDowell Music Club was among the six music clubs that became charter members of the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs. Its first meeting was held in Charlotte in 1916, and it joined the National Federation of Music Clubs on March 6, 1917. During the early 1930s the MacDowell Club became part of the Statesville Women's Club. It was recognized as a music club in 1936, with both men and women as members. The MacDowell Music Club holds a unique place in Iredell County. It is the only adult club whose sole purpose is to advance the development of music in the community. Special emphasis has been placed on nurturing talented young musicians through the Scholarship Program and through Junior Music Clubs. The many projects sponsored and supported by the MacDowell Music Club have greatly enriched the musical life of Statesville and the surrounding area.