Union League Club

History and architecture

Built in 1929-31, the Union League is a fine example of a neo-Classical style clubhouse, combining elements that recall the architecture of 18th century England and the American colonies. This style was especially popular with public institutions in the late 1920s and may suggest the influence of such architects as Edward Lutyens and John Russell Pope. A continuous projecting cornice divides the nine-story structure into two distinct sections that reflect the interior program. The massive lower floors house the primary social spaces, such as the dining rooms, billiard room and library, and the U-shaped upper floors contain more than sixty bedrooms.

Located at the southwest corner of Park Avenue and 37th Street in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan, the main (north) façade incorporates a curved double-height entrance pavilion and over-sized Palladian style windows, as well as a large pediment framing a cartouche with the club’s initials.

A second entrance, on Park Avenue, was intended for member’s wives and daughters who had their own dining facilities and lounge on the fourth floor. The Union League was one of the first clubs in New York City to welcome women and this entrance is crowned by a decorative lintel displaying a relief with four female faces. This relief, as well as the rectangular panels that flank that 37th Street entrance, share a strong graphic quality that suggests the influence of the Art Deco style, which dominated mainstream aesthetics during this era.

The Union League was founded in 1863. Members promised “absolute and unqualified” loyalty to the United States and the Republican Party. During the Civil War, the club organized the first black regiment in New York State and later played a significant role in establishing the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1881, after occupying former residences on Union, and then Madison Square, the club moved to Fifth Avenue and 39th Street where a clubhouse was built on leased property.

The current site was assembled by J.P. “Jack” Morgan and his brother-in-law Herbert L. Satterlee, who later served as president of the Union League. These prominent families shared a strong interest in the maintaining the neighborhood’s residential character and sold the property with precise covenants limiting the structure’s height and massing. Since opening in February 1931, there have been few significant changes to the exterior. The original fenestration and masonry appears well maintained and the Union League continues to operate the building as a private club.