Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-05-07
AN ARTISTIC CLUB HOUSE.
Tho Unique and Luxurious Home of One
of New YOrk's Most Famous Clubs.

of New York's Most Famous Clubs.
The new house of the Century is built
mile and half farther uptown than
it's old one, occupying space 100 feet
square on the north side of Forty-third
street, a little distance from its junction
with Fifth avenue, at the point where
the process of degrading that royal road
into shopping street seems for the
moment to have paused. Its style is
that Italian Renaissance brought into
such vogue of late years for both pub
lie and private buildings The material
is a pale brick, in color a little warmer
than gray, rather colder than yellow,
somewhat raw as yet, but promising
mellowness with time and relieved over
much of it's surface with terra Gotta Or
namentation of a harmonizing tint.
1t rises to the height of three stories,
the lowest one finished in dressed gray
stone crossed by narrow horizontal
bands of terra Gotta, forming such an
elevation as to serve for a massive base
to the whole structure, and each of the
upper ones gaining in height upon the
one below it. The entrance is through
a graceful and stately arch of gray
stone, piercing the two lower stories,
and supporting at the base of the third
broad entablature crowned with an
exquisite recessed loggia, which, after
the Florcntine manner, is open to the
air, and with which the dining room
connects. Low pilasters, parting the
the natness of the front and inclose
spaces enriched but not crowded with
wreaths and other decorative forms in
terra Gotta. The effect yielded by the
simple contour, pure lines and large
treatment of surface of the building,
aided 10y its color, is that of blended
dignity and dclicacy.
The interior arrangement preserves
throughout that scheme of large com
m'lnicating spaces which made SO
agreeable u feature in the old building.
At the rear of the ground floor, given
to offices and strangers rooms, a broad
stairway mounts on each side to a plat
form. midway Of the height of this
story, giving access to the gallery. de-
tachcd from the main structure, built
nearly across the width of the ground,
and lighted from above and on three
sides. The billiard room is below the
gallery.
Turning again toward the front, the
double stairway rises to the second
floor, divided into spacious halls for
meetings and conversation, and, gain
ing the third floor Ica,is to the library
and the dining room and smoking
rooms. Following the plan of all mod
crn clubs, which civilization is str0ng; ly
slow in adapting to private houses, the
processes and odors of cooking are con
fined to the region just below the roof
1t is curious that the ridgepolc and the
hearth, both of which were once syno-
nyIns fer the home should at length
have met in one place.
An air of severe simplicity reisns in
these marble lined halls and oak vain
scotod apartments, relieved by color Of
onyx panels, by graceful curves of elias
sic chimney pieces, by columns of dark
wood and veincd marble, and by the
gliding of capital and balustrade. SO
free are the spaces that from almost
any point there opens a striking per
spcctive OF arch and pillar and stair
way. The many members who have
surveyed the world of clubdom from
Calcutta to San Francisco pronounce
the Century's new home to be, among
buildings SO occupied, unique and com
plete. A. Il. Marlborough in Century.