The Commonwealth Club, is a private

gentlemen's club A gentlemen's club is a private social club of a type originally established by males from Britain's upper classes starting in the 17th century. Many countries outside Britain have prominent gentlemen's clubs, mostly those associated with the ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

. Its present clubhouse was completed in 1891. The defining structure of the Commonwealth Club Historic District, it is located at 401 West Franklin Street. The Commonwealth Club is considered to be one of the finest pieces of architecture in Richmond and was a physical symbol of Richmond's

New South New South, New South Democracy or New South Creed is a slogan in the history of the American South first used after the American Civil War. Reformers used it to call for a modernization of society and attitudes, to integrate more fully with th ...

movement. The club hosts the annual Richmond German Christmas Dance, the oldest

debutante ball A debutante, also spelled débutante ( ; from , ), or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" ( , ; ) or possibly debutante ball. Original ...

in Virginia.

Architecture

After an unsuccessful attempt to acquire plans from local firms, the Board of the Commonwealth Club looked outside of Richmond to develop a style that reflected the momentum of a more national architectural movement. The site proposed for the building, formerly the Palmer House, was located high above the street level. While the board desired a style broadly fashionable, they also desired the building to reflect Richmond as a southern city. The New York City based firm of

Carrère and Hastings Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (architect), Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was an American list of architecture firms, architecture firm ...

was chosen from a group of four firms. The Commonwealth Club is a unique structure among Richmond buildings. Characterized by its deep red brick, brownstone trim and terra cotta cartouches, the building is a combination of

Colonial revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...

and

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a architectural style, style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revivalism (architecture), revival style incorporates 11th- and 12th-century ...

styles. The Colonial revival tradition is reflected to promote a heritage for the future and the Richardsonian style reflected the ability of Richmonders to afford an architectural style fashionable on a national level. It is classified by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources as

Italian Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

.DHR Id#: 127-0373-0002

References

External links

The Commonwealth Club (official site)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commonwealth Club, The 1891 establishments in Virginia Carrère and Hastings buildings Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Colonial Revival architecture in Virginia Buildings and structures completed in 1891 Gentlemen's clubs in the United States Historic district contributing properties in Virginia Italian Renaissance Revival architecture in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Richmond, Virginia Renaissance Revival architecture in Virginia Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Virginia Organizations based in Richmond, Virginia Upper class culture in Virginia