Montauk Club

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For the 1894 building in Detroit, Michigan, see Harmonie Club (Detroit, Michigan).
The Montauk Club

The club as seen from Eighth Avenue (2013)
Formation March 11, 1889 (1889-03-11)
Type Gentlemen's Club
Headquarters 25 Eighth Avenue
Location Brooklyn, New York
Coordinates 40°24′10″N 73°34′54″W / 40.4029°N 73.5818°W / 40.4029; -73.5818Coordinates: 40°24′10″N 73°34′54″W / 40.4029°N 73.5818°W / 40.4029; -73.5818
Region served New York metropolitan area
Website montaukclub.com

The Montauk Club, a private social club located at 25 Eighth Avenue on the corner of Lincoln Place in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, was founded in 1889 by prominent Brooklyn residents excited about Brooklyn's economic boom following the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Founding members included Charles Pratt, Richard Schermerhorn, and Edwin C. Litchfield.

The landmark clubhouse was built in 1889-91 and was designed by Francis H. Kimball in the Venetian Gothic style. Built of brownstone and brick, it features verdegris copper and terra cotta produced by the New York Architectural Terra Cotta Works. It is ornamented with representations of the Montauk tribe of Native Americans the club is named after, which can be found on the building's capitals, over the main entrance, and on a continuous frieze between the third and fourth floors. Other panels depict a meeting in 1659 between the Montauks and Europeans, and the laying of the cornerstone of the building.[1][2]

The club is located within the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission's Park Slope Historic District.[1]

History

Since its erection, the Club has hosted many prominent political figures, including former U.S. presidents Grover Cleveland, Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy.[3][4]

In the late twentieth century the club faced declining membership and financial difficulties. It eventually sold its upper two floors,[5] which were converted into apartments.[1] However, the clubhouse has enjoyed a revival in recent years. A "house subcommittee for under 35s," also known as the Stephen Talkhouse Fellows, has attracted new membership. The Corduroy Club holds meetings at the Montauk Club on January 11 (1/11) and November 11 (11/11), the dates most resembling corduroy.[6] In 2007, the bar and dining areas of the club began hosting events aimed at young men and women in the rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood.[7]

In popular culture

The club has been used as a location in films such as Prizzi's Honor and City Hall and television shows such as Person of Interest.

Gallery

  • View of the building from the southeast, on Park Street West

  • Detail of the Park Street West facade

  • The main entrance to the building

  • Detail of the Eighth Avenue facade, above the entrance

See also

  • List of American gentlemen's clubs

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Postal, Matthew A. (ed. and text); Dolkart, Andrew S. (text). (2009) Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.) New York:John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1, p.254
  2. ↑ White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot & Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195383867. , p.653
  3. ↑ "Club History". The Montauk Club of Brooklyn. Retrieved 2010-07-31. 
  4. ↑ Rizk, Christine (April 21, 2007). "New blood tries to save Slope’s Montauk Club". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved 2010-07-31. 
  5. ↑ Gray, Christopher (April 28, 1996). "The Montauk Club in Brooklyn; A Venetian Palace With a Native American Motif". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-31. 
  6. ↑ Ames, Jonathan (November 19, 2006). "Better Living Through Corduroy". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-31. 
  7. ↑ Idov, Michael (March 25, 2007). "The Takeover". New York. Retrieved 2010-07-31. 

External links

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