Norwood Club
Andrew Norwood House The Norwood Club | |
New York City Landmark No. 0990
| |
 (2011) | |
  Location in New York City | |
| Location | 241 West 14th Street Manhattan, New York City |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°44′22.92″N 74°00′06.84″W / 40.7397000°N 74.0019000°W |
| Built | 1845–1847[1] |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival[1] Italianate[1] |
| Website | www |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001606 |
| NYCL No. | 0990 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 9, 1979 |
| Designated NYCL | May 9, 1978[1] |
The Norwood Club was a private members club located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 2007 by Alan Linn and Steve Ruggi,[2] who intended it to be a modern incarnation of the traditional gentlemen's club.[3] Like the fine arts focused Century Association, the Norwood Club drew its membership from New York City's arts and creative community.[4] Linn described the Norwood Club as a "club for the curious."[5] The Norwood Club's members had reciprocity with other private clubs in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Africa, Sydney, Paris, Dublin, Budapest, Toronto, Buenos Aires, and Shanghai.
Clubhouse[edit]
The Norwood Club was located in a five-story brownstone townhouse at 241 West 14th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues built in 1847 for bond merchant Andrew S. Norwood – who was an active developer in the 14th Street area[6] – and known as the Andrew Norwood House.[7][8][9] In the 1840s, Norwood built three townhouses on the north side of West 14th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, including the Norwood House, which then was a fashionable area of northern Manhattan.[8] The matching houses, which were the first brick or masonry residences to be built on the street, were designed in the Italianate style with late Greek Revival details.[10][1] Norwood and his family moved into the Norwood House in 1847,[8] and the two houses to the left and right of #241, at #239 and #243, were sold by the beginning of 1853;[1] #243 was later a speakeasy called the Tammany Tough Club.[10] Andrew S. Norwood's son, Andrew G. Norwood, inherited the home in 1858 following his father's death in 1856.[8][1] It remained in the family until the turn of the century.[1]
Later on, the house was used for various purposes, including a boarding house, the New York Deaconesses Home of the Methodist Church, and a funeral home.[8] In 1976, Raf Borello purchased and restored the home and used it as his private residence until his death in 2005.[8][1] During this time, the building's exterior was given landmark status.[8] In 2006, Borello's heirs sold the home to a group that included Alan Linn who founded the Norwood Club in it.[8] Linn employed British interior designer Simon Costin to convert the space without losing its artistic and historical integrity. The Norwood Club then opened its doors in 2007.[8] The Norwood House contains 13 marble fireplaces, mahogany interior doors, elaborate plaster ceiling moldings, a cast iron balcony, an elegant curving staircase, and a stained glass skylight.[8]
The Norwood Club contained a restaurant, two lounge bars, a screening room and a walled garden with seating. The top floor housed the screening room and a small roof deck.[7] A hidden door on the main floor lead to a staircase to the lower dining room, which members could use for private events.[7] The entire club featured paintings, drawings and sculptures that were changed once each year.[7] Many of the art pieces and books that were displayed were donated by the members.[7]
The house has been a New York City Landmark since 1978 and on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. It is one of the few townhouses of its type still extant in Manhattan.[1] In December 2020, the building was listed for sale. [11]
The Norwood Club closed in February 2022.
Membership[edit]
Club membership was selective. The application process included completing written questions which addressed potential members interests in the arts and motivation for joining Norwood,[12] as well as a required interview and tour of the facilities.[13] The club had about 1100 members, as well as a wait-list for new members.[14]
See also[edit]
- List of traditional gentlemen's clubs in the United States
- List of New York City Landmarks
- National Register of Historic Places listings in New York County, New York
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Staff (May 9, 1978) "Andrew Norwood House Designation Report" New York City Landmark Preservation Commission
- ^ Staff (April 25, 2010). "Interview: Alan Linn and Steve Ruggi, owners of exclusive New York club Norwood". The Scotsman.
- ^ Axelrod, Nick (April 10, 2012). "Insiders Guide: The Private Clubs". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "The 10 Best Private Clubs". Worth. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010.
- ^ "Art Club: Norwood". No. 3 Magazine. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014.
- ^ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
- ^ a b c d e "Norwood". SOMA Magazine. March–April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Miller, Tom (July 6, 2011). "The Andrew S. Norwood House". Daytonian In Manhattan.
- ^ Staff (1989) "Andrew Norwood House" (plaque) New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation
- ^ a b White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
- ^ June, Sophia (December 22, 2020). "Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions". The New York Times.
- ^ "NYC Private Clubs". refinary29.
- ^ Zeveloff, Julie (June 20, 2011). "The Most Exclusive Private Clubs in New York City". Business Insider.
- ^ Catton, Pia (September 2, 2013). "Arts Clubs Go Soul-Searching in New Era". The Wall Street Journal.
External links[edit]
