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
19th century
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-styble 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]
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]
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; 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]
^ 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 adGamarekian, Barbara (1983-09-10). "Enduring Bastion of Exclusivity for 'Gentlemen'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
^ 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 aaEve Lydia Barsoum (12 March 1995). Metropolitan Club Historic Landmark Application (PDF) (Report). National Park Service. p. 7. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
^ a b"District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites". DC Preservation. Archived from the original on 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
^ a bMccarthy, Aoife (2007-12-04). "Clubbing with the elite". Politico. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
^ a bBarks, 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.
^Pressley, Sue Anne (26 June 1988). "Metropolitan Club Ends Ban on Women Members". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
^"George H. Goodrich Obituary". Legacy.com. The Washington Post. September 25, 2015. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
^"Judge E. B. Parker, Debt Expert, Dies". The Evening Star. 1929-10-30. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-13 – via Newspapers.com.
^"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.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.).
Official website
"Writings of Walter Lippmann", broadcast from the Metropolitan Club from C-SPAN's American Writers