Milwaukee Club
.jpg) The clubhouse seen in July 2022 | |
| Formation | January 1882 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
President | Ken Dortzbach |
| Website | https://milwaukeeclub.com/ |
The Milwaukee Club is a private social club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its current address is 706 N. Jefferson Street.
Clubhouse
[edit]The Queen Anne-style building that currently houses the Milwaukee Club was constructed in 1884 and was designed by architect Daniel Burnham.[1] The estimated cost for the project was $60,000.[2] In 1893, architect Walter A. Holbrook was commissioned by the club to extend the building 18 ft (5.5 m) north.[3] During this process, the north wall of the building was demolished, and the roofline was reconfigured.[3][1] The building is also known for a distinctive corner turret that juts out from the rest of the clubhouse.[4]
The Milwaukee Club building has numerous dining rooms for members, including a main dining room, as well as 10 private dining rooms that can accommodate between two and 60 guests at a time.[5] In 1910, Lydia Van Dyke Payne donated her late husband Henry's book collection to the club, and an estimated 2,000 volumes were gifted to the club's library, today known as the Henry C. Payne Library.[6]
History
[edit]
Early history
[edit]The Milwaukee Club was founded in 1882 by a group of local businessmen. A document containing all the 112 original members signatures remains in the building today.[7] The club originally utilized the Newhall House Hotel as its gathering place, however, the building burned down in a fire less than a year later.[8][9] The club's first president, Alexander Mitchell, was a prominent Wisconsin politician at the time.[9]
21st century
[edit]In 2000, the club converted a basement storage room into a casual bar area for members, named “The Rathskeller”.[4]
Membership
[edit]Membership in the Milwaukee Club is by invitation only.[10] The organization currently has around 200 members.[4] Several notable members of the club include:
- Alexander Mitchell, Wisconsin politician[11]
- Robert Baird, businessman[12]
- Frederick Vogel, Wisconsin politician and businessman[13]
- John Plankinton, businessman[14]
- Frederick Pabst, brewer[15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Tanzilo 2014.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 14.
- ^ a b Zimmermann 1982, p. 18.
- ^ a b c Daykin 2024.
- ^ Dill 2016.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 26.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 6.
- ^ McCoy 2019.
- ^ a b Zimmermann 1982, p. 5.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 30.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 8.
- ^ Bruce 1922, p. 613.
- ^ Bruce 1922, p. 391.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 47.
- ^ Zimmermann 1982, p. 39.
Sources
[edit]Books
[edit]- Zimmermann, H. Russell (1982-01-01). The Milwaukee Club Centennial: 1882-1982.
- Bruce, William George (1922). History of Milwaukee, City and County (2nd ed.). S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. ISBN 9780342862993.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Articles
[edit]- Daykin, Tom (2024-01-27). "University Club closed its Milwaukee building. But lesser-known downtown clubs thrive". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Dill, Molly (2016-08-08). "The evolution of Milwaukee's private clubs". BizTimes.
- McCoy, Mary (2019-03-12). "New Book Shines Light On Overshadowed Milwaukee Hotel Fire". Wisconsin Public Radio.
- Tanzilo, Bobby (2014-02-10). "Urban spelunking: The Milwaukee Club". OnMilwaukee.