Metropolitan Club
The Metropolitan Club is a handsome early-twentieth-century addition to the White House's monumental surroundings.
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The Metropolitan Club began with a meeting of six officials of the U.S. Treasury on October 1, 1863. These men sought to organize the first literary and social club in the nation's capital. Twelve days later, the club was formally established with forty-three members and a constitution, which stated the club's intent to "promote social and literary intercourse and enjoyment among the members" who would not exceed 250 in number. In its second year of existence, the club began to accept out-of-town members, which helped to develop its role as a national institution.
This Beaux Arts building was constructed in 1908 by Hiens and LaFarge on the site of the first Metropolitan Clubhouse, which had been destroyed by a fire in 1904. It is five stories high and its two main facades, on 17th and H Streets, are organized in a tripartite arrangement. The facades are clad in buff brick and limestone.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: April 28, 1995
