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Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.)

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This article is about the private club in Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Metropolitan Club.
Metropolitan Club
The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington
FormationOctober 13, 1863; 161 years ago (1863-10-13)
TypePrivate
53-0109340
Headquarters1700 H Street NW, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Location
  • United States
Websitewww.metroclub.com
ArchitectHeins & LaFarge
NRHP reference No.95000441[1]

The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington is a private club in Washington, D.C. In September 1983, The New York Times called it "Washington's oldest and most exclusive club".[2]

History

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19th century

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The entrance to the Metropolitan Club

On October 1, 1863, six U.S. Treasury Department officials met to discuss the creation of a social and literary club in Washington, D.C.[3] The Metropolitan Club officially organized twelve days later, with 43 members.[3] The first year, dues were $50.[2]

On June 25, 1883, the club acquired a lot on the corner of H Street and 17th Streets for $10.[3] Later In 1883, the club moved into the first purpose-built structure for a club in Washington, D.C.[3] Designed by the architects W. Bruce Gray and Harvey L. Page, the Victorian-style, four-story building was destroyed in a fire in 1904.[3] From 1905 to 1908, the Metropolitan Club met in various rental properties.[3]

The club's current home, designed by the architectural firm of Heins & LaFarge of New York City, was built from 1904 to 1908.[4][3]

The brick and limestone Renaissance revival-style building was rebuilt on the 1700 H Street NW lot, two blocks from the White House.[2][3] In 1925, a two-story annex designed by Frederick H. Brooke of Donn and Deming was added.[3]

Inside the five-story building, there is a lobby, coat room, card room, a library with 15,000 books, a grill room, a lounge, a dining room, sleeping quarters, and a barbershop.[3][2] There is also a steam room, an exercise room, and two squash courts.[2] Another room serves as a museum, honoring the governors.[3] Other spaces are for offices, the kitchen, and the wine cellar.[3]

In 1898, Theodore Roosevelt plotted much of the Spanish–American War at the club.[2]

20th century

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During the Watergate scandal, Henry Kissinger regularly met New York Times journalist James Reston at the club.[5] To ensure confidentiality of such meetings, the club prohibits the use of cell phones or note taking at the tables.[5]

The Metropolitan Club building was listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites since 1964 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[3][4]

21st century

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In April 2021, the club opened a new open-air rooftop venue, an $11 million project.[6] The space is used for live music, private functions, and smoking cigars.[6]

Membership

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For the first century of its existence, the members of the club refused to accept non-white people as members.[2] Thirty club members quit in protest in 1961, including Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.[2] The club started accepting black members in 1972; the first black member it admitted was Bishop John T. Walker.[2] The club also did not allow women to join until 1988.[7]

In 1983, there was a five-year waiting list for membership.[3]

Notable members

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Gamarekian, Barbara (1983-09-10). "Enduring Bastion of Exclusivity for 'Gentlemen'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Eve Lydia Barsoum (12 March 1995). Metropolitan Club Historic Landmark Application (PDF) (Report). National Park Service. p. 7. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. ^ a b "District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites". DC Preservation. Archived from the original on 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  5. ^ a b Mccarthy, Aoife (2007-12-04). "Clubbing with the elite". Politico. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  6. ^ a b Barks, Joe (2021-12-03). "The Road Ahead: Up on the Roof at The Metropolitan Club of The City of Washington". Club + Resort Business. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  7. ^ Pressley, Sue Anne (26 June 1988). "Metropolitan Club Ends Ban on Women Members". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  8. ^ "George H. Goodrich Obituary". Legacy.com. The Washington Post. September 25, 2015. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  9. ^ "Judge E. B. Parker, Debt Expert, Dies". The Evening Star. 1929-10-30. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-13 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  10. ^ Marquis, Albert Nelson (1919). Who's Who In America. Vol. X. Chicago, IL: A. N. Marquis & Company. p. 2905 – via HathiTrust.
  11. ^ "Henry White Weds Mrs. Wm. D. Sloane; Ex-Ambassador to France Is 70 and Daughter of Late Wm. H. Vanderbilt Is 68". The New York Times. 4 November 1920. p. 13. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
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