Women's City Club

**Bucket** · October-05-13, 07:52 PM

Building is located at 2110 Park. Next door to the Fillmore/Palms Building, across Elizabeth from Bucharest/Park Bar. Not to be confused with the Women's Exchange Building, home to Cheli's Chili.

The building appears vacant, but in excellent shape. Looks as though there are new-ish windows, the roof looks to be in good shape and overall the structure looks good. I don't see obvious signs of major work going on inside, because I sometimes see the windows open and at other times they're closed. So it would appear that there's a caretaker watching the building or someone is going in and out.

Anyone know the status of this building? It would be awesome if the building were renovated as apartments/condos, adding some more life to Park Avenue.

**gnome** · October-06-13, 06:48 AM

Since at least the late 1980's the Police have used the place for training or administration or as a club house ... Maybe the new HQ on 3rd street has made them close up their activities at the Ladies City Club.

I believe there is a swimming pool on one of the upper floors that was never used because it was so large the fear was the building would collapse. Don't know if that was actually true, but that's the story.

Gistok knows more about the buildings history, but I believe it was built by Matilda Dodge essentially as a big middle finger to The Establishment. Matilda did not have the "culture" or "breeding" that other ladies from the Monied Class had, hence she was snubbed by the snooty girls. Her response to being snubbed was to build the L.C.C.

**Gistok** · October-06-13, 08:48 AM

Thanks Gnome... I knew no good would come of Matilda Rausch... when she... a Canadian commoner [[John Dodge's secretary. who married the boss) married up into the "Candlelight Supper Class". Back then breeding was of the utmost importance for ladies of distinction... and Matilda was too "dead common" for many of the socialites of that era.

Matilda was too wealthy to abide by all that snobbery, and not only built the LCC, but also the Wilson Theatre in 1928... later to be known as Music Hall. If she was snubbed by others during an evenings entertainment... she would build her own palace of entertainment...

Also this clash with the upper class helped decide to use John Dodge's farm out in Rochester, as the location of her and 2nd husband Alfred Wilson's permanent home... 110 room Meadowbrooke Hall [[largest home in Michigan)... far and away from the hoi poloi of Detroit.

**Richard** · October-06-13, 12:38 PM

Really cool information,and interesting that every building has a history in itself that shaped the cities early years.

So does it have a pool on the upper floors?

**prokopowicz** · October-06-13, 02:25 PM

Gistok, you meant hoity-toity, not hoi-polloi.

**renf** · October-06-13, 07:55 PM

http://detroit1701.org/Women%27s%20City%20Club.html

More information about the Women's City Club building.

**Gistok** · October-06-13, 10:08 PM

Thanks renf... but there is a major error in that thread. The Women's City Club does NOT share the block with the Fox Theatre... but does with the State/Fillmore Theatre... wrong theatre, wrong block...

**David L** · October-06-13, 10:36 PM

In its heydey, the women's city club of Detroit had 5,000+ members and was the largest club of its kind in the country.

**Pam** · October-07-13, 09:44 AM

The first Clutch Cargo's was in the ballroom of this building in the early 80s. I can't remember how long it lasted. I went there a bunch of times from 1982-83.

**downtownguy** · October-07-13, 12:35 PM

I'm pretty sure the building is still owned by Chuck Forbes and family. He's the man that saved the Fox, State, Elwood, Gem, etc., long before Ilitch knew there was a Grand Circus Park.

Chuck attracted many offices for Detroit Police operations to his building. Several departments were [[are?) located in the Palms, and for many years the Detroit Police Academy worked out of the Colony Club at Park and Montcalm. It now operates as a banquet center and is still owned by Forbes. Check out this link for some gorgeous interior photos.: http://www.colonyclubdetroit.com/

I think the police department consolidated some of their offices several years ago, and the Women's City Club Building has been vacant since.

**Hermod** · October-07-13, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Also this clash with the upper class helped decide to use John Dodge's farm out in Rochester, as the location of her and 2nd husband Alfred Wilson's permanent home... 110 room Meadowbrooke Hall [[largest home in Michigan)... far and away from the hoi poloi of Detroit.

When Mr Dodge went to his reward, his estate [[after death taxes and obscene legal fees) went to his wife and amounted to $100 million. Her financial gurus put the whole amount in state and local bonds paying 3.5% interest. Since at the time, the top rate was 91% on all income over $252,000, she got 3,500,000 a year tax free. In those days, you didn't have to even report tax free income and with $3.5 mill coming in, she didn't even have to file an income tax return [[no taxable income). If she had worked for a living, she would have to make $39 mill a year to get that much take home pay. In essence, her investments gave her a 39% return on the money invested when taxes were taken into consideration.

**sumas** · October-08-13, 04:01 AM

In the seventies I was a member for selfish reasons. The pool was exquisite with mosaic tiles.

**Jimg** · October-12-13, 09:40 AM

The Detroit Jazz Center used that site in the late 70's. There were some fine concerts in that space.

**A2Mike** · October-13-13, 06:49 AM

Matilda disliked the Grosse Pointe elite enough to abandon the nearly completed house on Lake Shore Road that John Dodge had begun befoe his death in 1920. The unfinished house stood there for 20 years before demolition. Some of its fittings may have been used in Meadowbrook Hall. Had it been completed it would been by far the largest house in GP, exceeding Anna Dodge's Rose Terrace considerably. As a side note, the demolition of Rose Terrace occured in 1976, at about the time of Eleanor Ford's passing. Those events, I think, marked the end of the real Grosse Pointe. What remains is a pleasant enough place, but lacks any real distiction. It's sad now to see a crude "McMansion" built on Lake Shore by a furniture retailer while Trumbauer's evocation of 18th century France lives on only in architectural tomes.

**p69rrh51** · October-16-13, 12:59 AM

Mike you need to look deeper into Grosse Pointe. For longtime GP residents Lakeshore is the last street we want to live on. There are 1000's of outstanding examples from the teen's, twenty's and even the thirty's still standing. Time to get off Lakeshore and actually take a look at the real GP. Please pm me as I can show you REAL distinction! This thread has many of the homes you have not taken the time to see.

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...tectual-talent!

**A2Mike** · October-16-13, 07:18 AM

You're right about the side streets, especially in the Farms, but Lakeshore, even into the seventies, had such a concentration of outstanding residential architecture that it had a real impact on out-of-town visitors. The lake, too, was a fine setting. A friend raised in Chicago's North Shore suburbs saw Lakeshore in the mid-sixties and stopped blabbing about Sheridan Road! You're also right about Lakeshore's diminished desirability, especially where traffic and noise are concerned. I've read some comments about that by Henry Ford ll. I do wish, though, that some of the newer houses in historical styles had been better designed. There are practicing architects such as Norman Askins, Peter Pennoyer, Jacquelin Robertson, William Baker and David Easton currently building with a refinement and probity not seen since the twenties or thirties. Before I retired last year, I worked for a SF real estate developer and my colleagues were speechless at pictures of some of the houses demolished in GP. One can only imagine what prices Rose Terrace, the Sycamores, or many others would have brought had they been in Hillsborough, Atherton or LA's west side!

**A2Mike** · October-16-13, 07:37 AM

Here is a link to a great Hillsborough house, Carolands. Rose Terrace is a worthy comparison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolands

**p69rrh51** · October-16-13, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by A2Mike

Here is a link to a great Hillsborough house, Carolands. Rose Terrace is a worthy comparison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolands

Rose Terrace was about 25,000 sq. ft. smaller but either would compare very well. On the other hand, Clairview is the home I would have compared to the Carolands.

**Gistok** · October-16-13, 09:57 AM

Sadly mostly all that remains of Rose Terrace is the ornate fence along Lakeshore Dr.

It was a sad end for Henry Ford II's... Roy Chapin House... what mediocre condo's were built in its' place...

**p69rrh51** · October-16-13, 10:00 AM

Last comment Grosse Pointe could not stand Matilda Dodge. First she was the second wife and at that time second wives were looked at with disdain. Second she was rude, crude and obnoxious. Last John Dodge's children sued her to stop the construction of the mansion on Lakeshore and won. She just took the money she received from her husband and went off to Meadowbrook. Most of GP could have cared less what she did.

**A2Mike** · October-16-13, 01:24 PM

Judging from pictures I've seen of Matilda the era of the "trophy wife" had yet to come. I don't think she quite fit in Anna's world either, but her step-daughter, Winifred Seyburn, was much more congenial to Anna and her style, and had her own, lesser chronicled, French manor on Jefferson. I saw her in the early 70's entering her long wheel base Silver Cloud outside the New Center Saks store. There was a small group of people nearby, doubtlessly including some GM people, who dominated the area in the daytime then, and they couldn't quit gaping at the grand mystery lady!

**EastsideAl** · October-16-13, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

The first Clutch Cargo's was in the ballroom of this building in the early 80s. I can't remember how long it lasted. I went there a bunch of times from 1982-83.

It was a fun spot, until Vince 86d me from the place in about 1982.

**Pam** · October-17-13, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

It was a fun spot, until Vince 86d me from the place in about 1982.

I remember seeing a guy trying to get in free once, by climbing in a window. Was that you?

**A2Mike** · October-17-13, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

Rose Terrace was about 25,000 sq. ft. smaller but either would compare very well. On the other hand, Clairview is the home I would have compared to the Carolands.

The imposing Clairview much resembles McKim, Mead and White's Hyde Park NY house built for Frederick Vanderbilt. Hawkins Ferry referred to its "Edwardian grandeur". I'm curious about the interior. If it was up to the exterior, it must have been grand indeed.

**Gistok** · October-17-13, 09:24 AM

Hehehe... this thread has morphed into a 3 way conversation... Women's Colony Club... Colony Club.... and the Dodges...

Off on the tangent about the Colony Club at the corner of Park Ave & Montcalm... the place just keeps getting more and more gorgeous! They have now restored the sumptuous rooms up on the 4th floor, which continue the Louis XV grandeur of the tranditions of Royal France... in the 3rd floor ballroom...
http://www.colonyclubdetroit.com/