The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington | |
 Metropolitan Club in 2022 | |
| Formation | October 13, 1863 |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| 53-0109340 | |
| Headquarters | 1700 H Street NW, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Location |
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| Website | www |
| Architect | Heins & 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]
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]
In 1898, Theodore Roosevelt plotted much of the Spanish–American War at the club. [2]
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]
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]
The Metropolitan Club has reciprocal agreements with the following:
Members are essentially scions of the East Coast American aristocracy, mainly the First Families of Virginia, the Boston Brahmins, the Old Philadelphians, and the Knickerbocker families of New York. [9] [10]
For the first century of its existence, the club was closed to 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. [11]
In 1983, there was a five-year waiting list for membership. [3]
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