Everglades Club
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Formation | January 25, 1919 |
---|---|
Purpose | social club, golf club |
Location | |
Membership | (not publicly available) |
Key people | Paris Singer, Addison Mizner |
Website | (none, by deliberate decision) |
Remarks | dues are very high |
The Everglades Club is a social club in Palm Beach, Florida. When its construction began in July 1918, it was to be called the Touchstone Convalescent Club, and it was intended to be a hospital for the wounded of World War I.[1] But the war ended a few months later, and it changed into a private club.
The Club has no sign, website, or
History
However, World War I had ended, and most former soldiers wanted to go home. The hospital was reinvisioned as a private club; the medical equipment was donated to a hospital in West Palm Beach.[4]: 47 There was a main building, eight separate villas, tennis courts, a parking garage across the street, and a yacht basin. The club opened on 25 January 1919. Paris Singer was the President of the club and he decided who could become a member. For its second season in 1920, Mizner supervised the construction of a nine-hole golf course and the landscaping of the club's 60 acres. He also built Via Mizner, an addition on Worth Avenue with eleven apartments and sixteen shops.[5]
Mizner's design for the Everglades Club was widely considered to be the biggest success of his career."[6]: 163 It helped establish a new architectural style for Florida.[7][8] In the club's first season Mizner received four architectural commissions. He went on to become America's foremost society architect of his era.[9]
Singer began his club with twenty-five charter members. Two years later, the membership was closed at 500 members.[10] Eliza Osgood Vanderbilt Webb (1860–1936) was one of its earliest female members.[11] Businessman Jack C. Massey was a member.[12]
An additional nine holes were added to the golf course in 1930.[13]
21st century
By 1999, the club's initiation fees were reportedly around $35,000.[14]
As of 2022, the club deliberately does not have a website. Cellphones are prohibited on the property.[15]
In 2023, Connecticut College president Katherine Bergeron's decision to host a fundraiser at the Everglades Club was met with protests by the college's students. The school's dean of equity and inclusion also resigned after he objected to the school's plans.[16]
Membership policies
The club has long been criticized for reported discrimination against Jewish and Black people.
As of 2014, there has never been an African-American member.[19]: 172–173 According to 2009 president William Panill, no African-American has ever applied. The Club now has Jewish members, but how many is unknown because, according to Panill, "we don't ask."[20] Panill admitted in 2009 that he receives inquiries about whether a member can bring a Jewish guest.[20]
"And I know that people have called me on the phone when I—in the first years, and said I have so and so guest in my house, he's the president of some big university, he's Jewish, can I bring him to the Everglades Club? I say absolutely, no problem at all. Anybody you have in your home or anybody that's a friend of yours, bring them. And they brought them and there had been no incident of any complaining, or, and no letters issued, or no. I have many friends that are Jewish people that come to the club and they are welcome there, and there's no problem with it."[21]
Famous members
- Willis S. Paine (1848–1927)[22]
- Eliza Osgood Vanderbilt Webb (1860–1936)[23]
- Clarence H. Geist (1866–1938)
- Clarence Dietsch (1881–1961)[24]
- Owen Ray Skelton (1886–1969)[25]
- Gurnee Munn (1887–1960)[26]
- Audrey Emery (1904–1971)[27]
- Jack C. Massey (1904–1990)[12]
- Paul Miller (1906–1991)[28]
- Guilford Dudley (1907–2002)[29]
- Alfonso Fanjul Sr. (1909–1980)[30]
- John L. Hanigan (1914–1996)[31]
- Adolphus Busch Orthwein (1917–2013)[32]
- William Johnston Armfield (1934–2016)[33]
Further reading
- Rab, Lisa (July 23, 2009). "'Let Them Win': Tales of Life Inside the Everglades Club". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
References
- Notes
- ^ Curl 1984. p. 42
- ^ "Private Clubs, at Palm Beach County History Online". Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ Skinner, Sara E.; @Palm Beach Post Staff Researchers (May 22, 2014). "Then and now: Alligator Joe's and the Everglades Club". Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 0262530686,
First published 1984
- ^ Curl 1984. p. 49
- ISBN 0609605151
- ^ Curl 1984. p. 59
- ^ "Mizner's Dream". Boca Raton Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ Curl 1984. p. 60
- ^ Michener 1984. p. 19
- ^ Vanderbilt rehab a study in family memories, the Chicago Tribune, May 01, 2005
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Everglades Club - Palm Beach, Florida". Links And Lodging. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Grantham, Loretta (1999-06-05). "Private clubs of Palm Beach very hush hush — then came Mar-a-Lago". Palm Beach Daily News.
- ^ Marshall, Barbara. "Inside the Everglades Club: the origins of Palm Beach style". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^ Detelj, Tina (2023-02-10). "Conn. College students call for president's resignation following fundraiser controversy". WTNH. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- Palm Beach Post. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c Rab, Lisa (July 23, 2009). "The Chef and the "Amigo"". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ISBN 978-1884886744.
- ^ a b Rab, Lisa (July 22, 2009). "Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Details on the Everglades Club's Policy Toward Jews". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ "3653165.0.pdf" (PDF).
- ^ Marquis, Albert Nelson, ed. (1926). Who's Who in America. Vol. 14. Chicago, I.L.: The A. N. Marquis Company. p. 1481 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Vanderbilt rehab a study in family memories, Chicago Tribune, May 01, 2005
- ^ Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach, FL., 16 Dec 1946, page 5
- ^ "2002 Automotive Hall of Fame inductees". Automotive News. 77 (6006): 11. 2003.
- New York Times. May 8, 1960.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- ^ Paul Miller Curatorial Files (Box 2, File 40 ed.). Special Collections and University Archives, Oklahoma State University Libraries.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jones Poit, Katrina (October 17, 1980). "Sugar Magnate Alfonso Fanjul Dead At 71". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Donnelly, Shannon (November 27, 2013). "Orthwein, Anheuser-Busch heir, dies at 96". Palm Beach Daily News. Palm Beach, Florida. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Armfield IV, William Johnston". News & Record. Richmond, Virginia: BH Media Group, Inc. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- Bibliography
- Curl, Donald W. Mizner's Florida. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1984.
- Michener, Edward C. The Everglades Club. (Palm Beach): The Everglades Club, 1985.
26°42′1.23″N 80°2′28.3″W / 26.7003417°N 80.041194°W
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. FL-226, "Everglades Club, Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, FL", 20 photos, 1 color transparency, 13 data pages, 3 photo caption pages, supplemental material