Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.)

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

Metropolitan Club
The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington
FormationOctober 13, 1863 (1863-10-13)
TypePrivate
53-0109340
Headquarters1700 H Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Location
  • United States
Websitewww.metroclub.com
ArchitectHeins & LaFarge
NRHP reference No.95000441[1]

History

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]

The club's first board of governors included Robert J. Atkinson, Samuel Yorke Atlee, George E. Baker, Spencer M. Clark, Augustine Edwards, John Lorimer Graham, J. Smith Homans, Judge James Hughes, William Hemphill Jones, Edward Jordon, S. H. Kauffman, Charles Knap, Hugh McCullough, George W. Riggs, John G. Stephenson, and Charles M. Walker.[3]

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]

Metropolitan Club entrance

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

Here, Theodore Roosevelt plotted the Spanish–American War.[2] During the Watergate era, Henry Kissinger would regularly meet there with New York Times journalist James Reston.[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]

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

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.[2] Bishop John T. Walker was the first African American member.[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]

Reciprocal clubs

The Metropolitan Club has reciprocal agreements with the following:

Notable members

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Gamarekian, Barbara (1983-09-10). "Enduring Bastion of Exclusivity for 'Gentlemen'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  3. Eve Lydia Barsoum (12 March 1995). Metropolitan Club Historic Landmark Application (PDF) (Report). National Park Service. p. 7. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. "District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites". DC Preservation. Archived from the original on 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  5. Mccarthy, Aoife (2007-12-04). "Clubbing with the elite". Politico. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  6. 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. "A short walking route in DC Trail - Washington, District of Columbia, USA | Pacer". www.mypacer.com. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  9. "Cercle Royal du Parc Reciprocities".
  10. "Reciprocal Clubs | Duquesne Club". www.duquesne.org. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  11. "George H. Goodrich Obituary". Legacy.com. The Washington Post. September 25, 2015. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  12. "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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