They don't have to be entertained here. They entertain themselves. The two middle boys, Jacob and Matthew, were upstairs in the room, or playing croquet, or getting ready to swim, depending on which distraction was most powerful at the moment. The club was created for such relaxation. Bathroom fixture manufacturer Richard Crane, for instance, built an Italianate cottage with 17 bathrooms that is being converted into a bed and breakfast.
Several homes are open for historic tours.
Vacationers can stay in San Souci, one of the nation's firstcondominiums, built by a partnership including club member J.P. Morgan. Then and now, most families stayed at the club house, however. Original club members almost always ate there, since cottages generally didn't have kitchens. Here President William McKinley visited in 1899 and was able to meet with his rival, Speaker of the House Thomas B. Reed. It is thought that club members pressured Reed not to oppose McKinley, who would be assassinated, for president.