19th century In 1830, a group of men began meeting regularly to play cards at Mrs. Rubicam's Coffeehouse at the northwest corner of 5th & Minor Streets in
Philadelphia. In early 1834, they rented space around the corner in the Adelphia Building at 212 South 5th Street, taking the building's name as the club's name. On March 21, 1834, the "Adelphia Club" held its first recorded meeting, adopting a Constitution and By-Laws. A week later, the club chose its first Board of Directors. In April 1835, the members rented the
Joseph Bonaparte house at 260 South 9th Street, and changed the club's name to "The Philadelphia Club." In 1843, the club moved to rented space at 919
Walnut Street.
Club House Thomas Bulter began to build the present Club House, in the most expensive manner, as a residence for himself, but died in 1838, leaving it unfinished; in his will he directed his trustees, Col. William Drayton and the Hon. John Sargeant, to finish it according to his plans. It then became the property of his son, Louis Bulter, who, however, never occupied it; the house was used for a time as a boarding house, and subsequently as a young ladies' boarding school. Design of the Thomas Butler Mansion is attributed to architect
William Strickland, and was one of his few residential commissions. The Philadelphia Club purchased the vacant mansion in 1849, and began alterations, including moving the kitchen to the basement and the addition of a billiards room. The new Club House at 1301 Walnut Street opened to Club members on November 18, 1850. Architect
Frank Furness expanded the Club House northward along 13th Street in 1888-89, with an addition that increased the size of its kitchens and the main dining room.
Wilson Eyre renovated its interiors a decade later, and additional alterations were done by
Horace Trumbauer in 1905 and 1908, and by
Mellor, Meigs & Howe in 1916. In addition to a library, card rooms, dining rooms, smoking rooms, and a bar, the Club House contains lodging rooms on its upper stories. It has a large collection of Philadelphia prints, and a collection of
game trophy heads donated by Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
Staff George C. Boldt, hired in 1876 as a dishwasher, rose to become the Club's steward and married the former steward's daughter. With financial backing from Club members, he built the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia. Bolt later built the
The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, also in Philadelphia, and operated the
Waldorf Astoria Hotel in
New York City. Jimmy Duffy, later a noted
Philadelphia Main Line caterer, was the Club's bartender from 1895 to 1929.
20th century During
Prohibition, the
Philadelphia Police Department executed a raid on The Philadelphia Club. The purpose of the February 2, 1931 raid, led by Detective Bronislaw Wielbaba, was to seize illegal
spirits and
wine. According to Weilbaba's testimony, police confiscated 401 quarts, 118 pints, and a 1-gallon jug of alcohol from Club members' private lockers. The only arrest made was of the Club manager. ==Traditions==