Women’s National Republican Club
In the early 1900s, a group of women got together and formed a club to help protect women’s rights. The organization evolved over the years to become The Women’s National Republican Club in 1921. They moved their location two times before settling on 51st Street in 1933, the former site of Andrew Carnegie’s home.
Today, the Clubhouse works closely with the Republican Party, organizing lectures and meetings. Located inside this historic building is a private dining room, a social club, business center, lounge area and a library for its members. There are a few overnight rooms available to outside guests, as well as elegant event spaces that I was able to view firsthand. In the private guided tour that I had with marketing and sales manager, Louise Scrivines, I stepped outside onto the terrace of the Solarium overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral, viewed the glistening crystal chandeliers in both the Pratt Lounge and the Grand Ballroom, and wandered into the Lincoln Room. While speaking with chef, Gary Eisenberg – who has been with the club since 2006 – I learned about the many possibilities for weddings and other special functions that each room can accommodate.
Intrigued by the antique furniture, tapestries, busts, photographs and paintings hanging on the walls, I learned that most of what the club has amassed has come through donations by founding members from their own private collections. When I commented to Louise that I was so pleased to have discovered a remarkable hidden gem steeped in history on West 51st, her immediate response was, “Yes, The Women’s National Republican Club is a gem, but we no longer want to be hidden.”