New Haven Lawn Club

New Haven Lawn Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	193 Whitney Ave New Haven, Connecticut
Coordinates:	41°18′57″N 72°55′10″W / 41.31583°N 72.91944°W / 41.31583; -72.91944Coordinates: 41°18′57″N 72°55′10″W / 41.31583°N 72.91944°W / 41.31583; -72.91944
Built:	1929-1931
Architect:	Douglas Orr; William Douglas
Architectural style:	Colonial Revival, Moderne
Governing body:	Private; Board of Governors
NRHP Reference#:	03000309 [1]
Added to NRHP:	May 1, 2003

The New Haven Lawn Club is a private country club located on Whitney Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut close to Yale University. It is both a social and athletic facility. The club is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2003.^[1][2]

One building and one structure of the club are deemed contributing to the historic character while another building and three structures are non-contributing. The architecture of the clubhouse is primarily Colonial Revival with Art Moderne decorative elements. The clubhouse, built in 1931 to replace the former clubhouse that had burned in 1929, is credited to architect Douglas W. Orr, but much of the detail design is by William Douglas.^[2]

The club offers tennis, squash, and outdoor swimming,^[3] and is considered one of the most prestigious clubs in the area.^[4]

History

The Club was founded in 1891 by a group of New Haven residents including Russell Sargent, Eli Whitney and William Beebe. The original clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1929. Renowned architect Douglas Orr designed the current facility. As of 2005, over 520 families were counted among its membership.

It originally hosted lawn tennis, now more commonly known as court tennis, reflecting a fad brought from England.^[2]

Activities

The New Haven Lawn Club offers a wide range of activities and events including tennis, swimming, food, art exhibits, concerts, book clubs, yoga and pilates.

Mansion

The Lawn Club mansion is rich with architectural details. Visitors enter the foyer through a vaulted portico, archways, and columns made of the local red brick. Octagonal windows look out over the manicured Lawn Club grounds. A Lalique crystal chandelier graces the foyer and working fireplaces are found throughout the building. The New Haven Lawn Club is home to several event rooms.

The Ball Room

The Lawn Club has a Grand Ballroom. Its largest event space, it can hold 225 guests.

The Ballroom has a barrel ceiling, a stage for performances, and hard wood floors. The event space includes a terrazzo entryway and fireplace.

The Main Dining Room

The Main Dining Room seats up to 120 guests. Two wood burning fireplaces mirror each other at opposite ends of the hall, with terrazzo flooring between them. Floor to ceiling windows offer views of the Lawn Club grounds and the attached terrace overlooks the tennis courts.

Relationship to neighborhoods

The club's location is within the official East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, but it is far from the East Rock itself or the center of the East Rock neighborhood. It is located on the edge of the downtown area.

References

Connecticut portal

1. ^ ^{a b} "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Christopher Wigren (March 7, 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: New Haven Lawn Club". National Park Service. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/03000309.pdf.  and Accompanying 20 photos, exterior and interior, from 2002 (see captions page 26 of text document)
3. ^ Lawn Club Activities Page
4. ^ Who Really Ruled in Dahl's New Haven?

External links

• Official Website