The Club was organized for the purpose of literary study and discussion on January 15, 1900, by sixteen women at the home of Mrs. C.R. Cummings as the Heights Literary Club during an era when few women attended university.  This was also an era when a movement was sweeping the country with women's clubs launched in multiple cities for similar purposes. Club Colors of white and gold were initially selected along with a Club Flower, the Maréchal Neil Rose, a yellow climbing rose. A Club Motto was also chosen:  "Seek wisdom and strive to do good."   By April, the group sought to do more than study literature and voted to make a small monthly assessment so that calls for charity might be met.  This was the beginning of much charity work sponsored by the club.

During 1905, the club members labored to start a library for the local high school currently known as Heights High School.  Money was raised to purchase books and equipment.  With assistance from city libraries and cooperation from the school board the library became a reality, debuting a still ongoing commitment to area schools.  The Club was also federated that year, joining the Federation of Women's Clubs - a membership that continued throughout the decades.

During Mrs. W. G. Love's presidency, 1907 - 1908, the Heights Woman’s Club (HHWC) started the first Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in the Heights at Cooley Elementary School.

By 1909, the membership had outgrown the Presidents' parlors as meeting rooms due to the Club's popularity. Mr. O.M. Carter granted permission for the meetings to be held in a room at the powerhouse of his electrical plant on 19th Street. 

The charter for the Club was obtained by Hortense Sparks Ward, the first woman admitted to the Texas Bar, in 1911, the same year in which Mr. and Mrs. D. D. (Helen) Cooley (Dr. Denton Cooley’s grandmother) donated the lot on which the Clubhouse would be built.

Due to the increased membership and a desire to expand beyond the literary focus, a decision was made to evolve into a departmental club for music study, civic needs, art and crafts, social events and literature: the foundation for the 21st century present-day Club. The mission statement was updated to reflect changing times:  "to seek wisdom and strive to do good by supporting any literary and scientific undertaking, the maintenance of a library, and the promoting of painting, music and other fine arts."  In 1911, the Houston Heights Music Study Club was organized, subsequently joining the HHWC. By 1912, due to the enthusiasm to learn china painting, the Arts and Crafts Club was formed and also became part of the HHWC.

Hortense Sparks Ward spoke on the "Legal Status of Women in Texas" at the first Club meeting held in the new clubhouse in October 1912. The 1912-1913 yearbook, which functioned as both a calendar and membership directory, featured an end section entitled "Laws of Married Women in Texas." The section informed women of their legal rights on a range of matters from property ownership to wills and divorce. 

The Club sponsored a variety of events for soldiers stationed at nearby Camp Logan prior to the United States' entry in Worth War 1.

During World War I and World War II, the American Red Cross used the clubhouse to make surgical dressings for the soldiers.  (All social activities at the clubhouse were suspended during this time).  Instead of holding meetings, club members joined to prepare bandages. 

Upon the city of Houston's annexation of the Heights in 1918, the Club was renamed the Houston Heights Woman's Club, the name presently in existence.

The 1919 Pandemic does not appear to have affected Houston as severely as other areas; club activities continued after a brief hiatus.

As a testimony to the importance of education and learning, the HHWC erected the Memorial Garden at the Houston Heights Public Library in 1936.

During World War II, a total of 2,669 volunteers made 1,176,699 bandages at the clubhouse for the American Red Cross.

Throughout the 1950s, the Club issued a $100 scholarship annually to a graduating senior at Heights High School. The Club also donated regularly to United Way and the Anti-Tuberculosis League.

Club members continued to engage in active community outreach in the 1960s and 1970s including participation in a book donation drive benefitting the library of the nearby Alabama-Coushatta reservation,  multiple toy drives for children at Ben Taub Hospital, yearly gifts and social support for women patients at the Veterans' Hospital, plus assorted donations to a variety of worthy causes of the era including the Heights branch of the Houston Public Library.

The 1990s brought a renewed focus on community outreach, continuing the 1980s custom of supporting shut-in and ill members in addition to holding canned food donation drives for food banks plus donations to numerous other causes.

By 2006, a need was identified to expand the membership by offering programs and activities during evening hours leading to the creation of the Evening Group.  Membership expanded significantly as did community outreach, the return of the Literary Club and new programs and special events, many of which remain in place today.  The original daytime Club was subsequently remained the Heritage Group during this period and also underwent a period of significant growth and addition of more activities and community outreach during the ten year period leading up to 2025. 

In 2025, both the day and evening groups unified as one Club with all programs and activities open to all members.