History and architecture
The club, first organized in 1873 as the Racquet Court Club, occupied a building at 55 West 26th Street. However, it was incorporated on February 21, 1890, as the Racquet and Tennis Club "to encourage all manly sports among its members." From its beginnings the club was considered to be one of the wealthiest and most exclusive of New York's social and athletic organizations. In 1891 the club moved to a new building designed by architect Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz specifically for its purpose and located at 27 West 43rd Street. This section of the city soon became known as the clubhouse district. Among the club's distinguished neighbors on West 43rd Street were the Century Club, the Columbia Club, and the Academy of Medicine (now demolished), while on West 44th Street were the Harvard Club, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and the New York Yacht Club.
As commercial development of the city began to encroach upon the area the organization began considering a move to a new location. It's currently location, the Racquet and Tennis Club Building, is a superb example of the work of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, and was built in 1916-18 as the third home of the Racquet and Tennis Club. Dominating the block front of Park Avenue between 52 and 53rd Streets, the building is a notable essay in neo-Italian Renaissance architecture, embodying the principle of Beaux-Arts design to create a structure which is appropriate to the site and to the needs of the club.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.