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The Mountain City Club was chartered on September 20, 1889 with a membership of 137 men. A building was constructed at the corners of Seventh and Cherry Streets housing the
offices of several local businessmen on the ground floor and the club occupying the top floor. With growth came growing pains and the club moved twice, finally locating in a building on Chestnut Street
in 1904. This building was to become the home of The Mountain City Club until 1974. Through two world wars, the Depression and the coming and going of members the club became a fixture of
respectability and moderate conservatism. The Club attracted the leaders of the community and membership is highly valued. The original members of The Mountain City Club crossed the board as Chattanooga's civic and business leaders from many trades, including: manufacturing, real estate, banking, law, insurance, wholesale and dry goods, brokerage, and publishing. The members were to become not just leaders in Chattanooga but leaders with a national prominence. By 1904 the significance and popularity of the club lead to an increase in membership from 150 to 200 and the allowing of female guests when receptions were being held. Overnight guests were allowed and the club also included regular boarders. By 1907 the resident membership was 200 and the board was allowing no new applicants. In addition the nonresident membership now stood just below 100. The club continued to grow and by 1920 a new addition was being planned as well as an increase in membership to 350. The annual Christmas Party was started in 1935 and remains a tradition still. This was also the year the first air conditioner was installed at the club. In 1959 the club changed from being an all men's club. The board decided to allow the son's of members to accompany their father's during weekday breakfast or dinner. In May 1963 the club installed a health club in the basement and started allowing the age 21 and over sons and daughters of members to attend the annual Christmas party. The modern era began in 1971 when the club seriously entertained ideas for a new clubhouse and in 1972 this emotional speech was given at the annual meeting. Gentlemen, I am asking you to strike a new course. I am asking you to incorporate your memories and your friendships and your fellowships and the atmosphere we talk about and your faith in a new building based on the promise of the future more than just the remembrance of the past. Today and tomorrow is where the action is, it is not in yesterday. I am asking you to give your children and their children and to ourselves a new club that you can with pride say represents you and the community and that you every day either build on or take from. I am asking you to do the same thing now that some forward looking citizens did and gave to us and to our fathers 75 years ago when they built their club. You fellows that are against this project might win this vote tonight, but in truth you won't because you are voting against the future, and you can't win that one. It is coming and it is coming strong. The vote carried and plans for a new clubhouse began. The new clubhouse was patterned after the presidential palace and governor's palace at Williamsburg. The brick was handmade especially for the club and the mortar has a line in it called a grapevine, typical of the Williamsburg style. The Williamsburg style was adopted and the new clubhouse was opened in 1974. In 1989 the first 100 years of the club were commemorated with the slogan "100 Years of Tradition" and in keeping with tradition a low-key celebration was planned. In 1992 a new tradition was formed, the addition of female members. Today the club continues as a meeting place for the leaders of Chattanooga, a place for relaxation and fine food, traditions that have not been forgotten. |
The club became a place to relax, to carry on conversations with other leaders of the community both business and civic, a place to fraternize, play cards and enjoy some of the best food in town.
