- There is a different Westmoreland Club in Richmond, Virginia
The Westmoreland Club is a private social club that was established in 1873 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[1] Members are Northeastern Pennsylvania "leaders in the arts, business, education, government, and industry”.[2]
History
editIt was established in 1873 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania as the Malt Club.[3] It rapidly became "the center of all social activity" in the Wyoming Valley.[4] The club moved to South Main Street in 1879 and stayed there until 1889. In 1889 they changed the name to "Westmoreland".[2][5][6]
The club was incorporated on February 9, 1899. They rented the Hunt House near St. Stephen's Church and had it modified to accommodate the club. A fire destroyed St. Stephen's Church and the clubhouse in 1896. In 1897 the club purchased the Hunt lot and built a three-story clubhouse on it.[5]
In 1922 the Westmoreland Club purchased the former residence Dr. Levi P. Shoemaker to accommodate the increased membership.[7][2] In 1990 the club admitted Kingston, Pennsylvania attorney Enid Harris to be the first woman voting member.[8] Her own father, attorney James Harris (1926-2011), then a member of the club's board opposed her membership.[5] In 1997 a two-story addition was completed. It produced a new entrance, added an elevator and new second floor dining room.[5] In 2002 the second-floor dining room changed their dress code from formal attire to business casual.[3] In 2009 the club received platinum status from Platinum Clubs of America.[5][9] In 2013 the first-floor dining room changed their dress code from formal attire to business casual.[3] In 2017, the Club was named one of The Platinum Clubs of the World by Club Leaders Forum.[10] This designation is bestowed upon 100 Golf & Country Clubs and 100 City Clubs, and is a true representation of the finest private clubs in the world, with 34 countries represented.
Presidents
edit- Theodore Strong Barber (1872-1939) in 1920.[1]
- Samuel Chase (?-1938).[11]
- Harold Snowdon (1938-2016).[12]
- Rusty Flack (1955-2011).[13]
Notable Members
edit- Edward Eugene Loomis (1864-1937).[14]
- Michael Henry Sheridan (1912-1976).[15]
- Mark Ciavarella
- Greg Skrepenak
- Michael Conahan
See also
edit- West End Wheelmen's Club, another historic club in Wilkes-Barre
References
edit- ^ a b "Westmoreland Club and Its Prospects of Moving". Wilkes-Barre Record. June 17, 1920.
- ^ a b c Harrison Wick (2011). Luzerne County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 9780738573786.
- ^ a b c (27 September 2013). Going casual? Join the club, Times Leader
- ^ Davies, Edward J. Elite Migration and Urban Growth: The Rise of Wilkes-Barre In the Northern Anthracite Region, 1820-1880, in Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies Vol. 45, No. 4 (October 1978), pp. 291-314, at 296.
- ^ a b c d e Denise Allabaugh (October 18, 2009). "Westmoreland Club Celebrates Platinum Status". The Citizens' Voice.
- ^ Castrignano, Elena Wilkes-Barre, p. 99 (Arcadia 2008)
- ^ "Westmoreland Club". Westmoreland Club. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
- ^ Mitch Morrison (October 13, 1993). "Is County Women's Panel Still A Wise Investment". Times Leader.
- ^ (22 October 2009). Going Platinum nationally - Lofty 5-Star Private Club status achieved, Times Leader
- ^ "Top 100 Platinum City Clubs of the World 2018-19 – Platinum Clubs of the World". clubleadersforum.com. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
- ^ "Samuel Chase". New York Times. November 5, 1938.
- ^ "Harold C. Snowdon Jr". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- ^ "Rusty Flack, 56, Enjoyed Chappy Summers". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- ^ "E. E. Loomis Heads Lehigh Valley". Retail Coalman. March 1, 1917. Retrieved 2015-03-06.
- ^ "Judge Michael H. Sheridan; On Bench in Pennsylvania". New York Times. Associated Press. August 24, 1976.
