Colony Club facts for kids
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Old Colony Club
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The original Colony Club building in 2010
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 Location in New York City
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| Location | 120 Madison Avenue Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1904 |
| Architect | McKim, Mead & White; Kendall & Baldwin |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, others |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002706 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1980 |
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The Colony Club is a special private club in New York City created just for women. It was started in 1903 by Florence Jaffray Harriman. Her goal was to create the first social club in New York City made by and for women. It was similar to clubs that men had. Today, men can visit the club if they are invited as guests.
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History of the Colony Club
The First Clubhouse
Florence Harriman and other wealthy women, like Anne Tracy Morgan (daughter of J. P. Morgan), raised $500,000 to build the club. They hired Stanford White from the famous architecture firm McKim, Mead & White. The first clubhouse was built between 1904 and 1908. It was located at 120 Madison Avenue. People later called this building the "Old Colony Club."
The building's design was inspired by 18th-century homes in Annapolis, Maryland. The inside of the club was designed by Elsie de Wolfe. She was a former actress who had just started her own interior design business. The inside of the club still looks much the same today. The building is known for its unique brickwork pattern on the outside.
The club and the street outside were often used for large rallies. These rallies supported women's right to vote. Many club members belonged to the Equal Franchise Society, which organized these events.
The Colony Club moved to a new location in 1916. The first building was then sold. Today, this building is home to the East Coast office of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1966, New York City gave the building special "landmark status."
The Second Clubhouse
The second clubhouse was planned in 1913 and built from 1914 to 1916. It is located at 564 Park Avenue. The architects, Delano & Aldrich, designed it in the Neo-Georgian style. Elsie de Wolfe also designed the interiors of this new building.
The building has a marble base. The upper floors are made of red brick with marble details and columns. This clubhouse was very fancy inside. It had lounges, dining rooms, and bedrooms, like other social clubs. But it also had a two-story ballroom. There was a swimming pool and spa in the basement. An elevator connected these to a gym on the fifth floor. The club even had two squash courts and a place for members to leave their pets.
The Colony Club continues its policy of having only women members. New members need to be recommended by current members. In 1987, some men tried to challenge this rule in court, but they were not successful.
Today, the club has about 2,500 members. They can enjoy discussions, concerts, and fitness programs. The clubhouse has seven stories. It includes 25 guest bedrooms, three dining rooms, and two ballrooms. There is also a lounge, a squash court, an indoor pool, and a fitness area.
Famous Members
Many notable women have been members of the Colony Club:
- Madeleine Astor – wife of John Jacob Astor IV
- Ambassador Robin Chandler Duke
- Florence Jaffray Harriman – the club's founder
- Jessica Garretson Finch – a college president and founding member
- Elisabeth Marbury
- Kathleen Troia McFarland
- Anne Morgan – a daughter of J. P. Morgan and a founding member
- Frances Louisa Tracy Morgan – wife of J. P. Morgan
- Judith Peabody
- Emily K. Rafferty – former president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
- Julia Catlin Park Taufflieb – the first American woman to receive the Légion d'honneur for her work in World War I
- Anne Harriman Vanderbilt – a founding member
- Ava Lowle Willing – a founding member
Images for kids
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First Colony Club House, New York City, NY
See also
- List of American gentlemen's clubs
- The Colony – a former restaurant near the club, with many of the same visitors
