Tavern Club (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1958-1988

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: Tavern Club (Louisville, Ky.)

Title: Records, 1958-1988

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection: 0.33 cubic feet

Location Number:  Mss. BD T233

Scope and Content Note

Collection contains the records of the Tavern Club, a gentleman’s club located in Louisville, Kentucky.  Included in the collection are the by-laws of the Club; correspondence; meeting minutes; membership lists, application forms, and new member nominations; annual reports; and financial statements.

Also included are plans by architects Louis and Henry Hartstern from October 1960 which propose renovation of space used by the Club in the building at 213 West Walnut Street.  The renovation plans include space for a kitchen, dining room, bar, lounge, billiard room, ballroom, and squash court.

Also of interest are song lyrics of “The Tavern in Town”, circa 1979, which label the Club chauvinistic because of its lack of female members.

Historical Note

Formed in 1958, the Tavern Club was described as a “Gentleman’s Social Luncheon Club.”  A proposal suggested a minimum of 50 club members, with facilities at the Henry Clay Hotel.  In 1960 the Club left the Henry Clay for new premises at 213 West Walnut Street (since renamed Muhammad Ali Boulevard).  The club renovated space in this building, which also housed the Berean Church Supplies store and studio space for the Louisville Ballet.  In 1987 the Club relocated again, this time to the Old House/Chez Gemini building at 432 South 5th Street.

This iteration of the Tavern Club appears to have taken its inspiration from an earlier gentlemen’s organization of the same name, which formed in Louisville in 1901.  See: Tavern Club records, 1901-1902 (Mss. C T).

 Folder List

Folder 1:          Records, 1958-1979

Folder 2:          Records, 1980-1983

Folder 3:          Records, 1984

Folder 4:          Records, 1985

Folder 5:          Records, 1986-1988

Subject Headings

Clubs – Kentucky – Louisville.

Fraternal organizations – Kentucky – Louisville.

Louisville (Ky.) – Buildings, structures, etc.

Louisville (Ky.) – Social life and customs.

Music – 20th century.

Sexism.