University Club of New York
Private social club in Manhattan, New York / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The University Club of New York (also known as University Club) is a private social club at 1 West 54th Street and Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Founded to celebrate the union of social duty and intellectual life, the club was chartered in 1865 for the "promotion of literature and art". The club is not affiliated with any other University Club or college alumni clubs. According to The New York Times, the club is considered one of the most prestigious in New York City.[3]
University Club | |
Location | 1 West 54th Street, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°45′41″N 73°58′32″W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1899; 125 years ago (1899)[1] |
Architect | Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead, and White |
Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 80002726[2] |
NYSRHP No. | 06101.000545 |
NYCL No. | 0263 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | April 16, 1980 |
Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
Designated NYCL | January 11, 1967 |
The University Club's predecessor, the Red Room Club, was founded in 1861 when a group of Yale College alumni founded the club to extend their collegial ties. Once the University Club received its charter, it struggled with financing, and from 1868 to 1879 the club had no permanent clubhouse and relatively few members. The club was reorganized in 1879 and became a popular social club, being housed at John Caswell's residence until 1883 and then at the Jerome Mansion until the current clubhouse was completed in 1899. Women were not permitted to become members until 1986, and are today highly represented within the membership.
The current clubhouse, a nine-story granite-faced Renaissance Revival structure, was designed by Charles Follen McKim, a member of the club. It contains three main floors with a reception area at the first story, a set of library rooms on the fourth story, and a dining area on the seventh story. There are various mezzanines with bedrooms and club rooms as well, in addition to a bath and swimming pool in the basement. The clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a New York City designated landmark.