The building’s brownstone and terra-cotta details depict American flora and fauna. Photo by Susan De Vries.
VENICE IN THE PARK
Noted architect Francis H. Kimball designed a fanciful Venetian Gothic palace
with American motifs for Park Slope’s singular Montauk Club.
story by SUZANNE SPELLEN (AKA MONTROSE MORRIS)
Late nineteenth century Brooklyn was a city basking
in the glories of the Gilded Age. Taking their cue from
the English gentry, wealthy New Yorkers embraced
the creation of posh private gentlemen’s clubs. Here, a
man could be waited upon with no family demands on
his time, and most important, hang out with his peers,
perhaps wheeling and dealing, or just sharing a fine
whiskey, a meal, or a poker game with the boys. The
more elite the club, the more important the man.
Brooklyn had several exclusive men’s clubs. The oldest
was the Brooklyn Club, located in the Heights and
founded in 1867. It was a who’s who of Brooklyn’s upper
crust, many of whose names grace our streets. Other
clubs followed, opening in other upscale neighborhoods
as development pushed outward.
Park Slope’s growing popularity spurred the creation
of the Carleton Club, located at the corner of St. Marks
and Sixth Avenue. It was founded in 1881 by a group
of men who felt their neighborhood had wonderful
homes but was lacking in amusements. Their club
was soon filled.
In 1888, a group of Carleton Club members decided to
split off and start their own club. By this time, Eighth
Avenue, the surrounding named streets and Prospect
Park West were becoming a wealthy enclave of freestanding
mansions and expensive attached townhouses.
HISTORY
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