New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission refused to designate the 19th century Colonial Club as historic. Instead, the building will be stripped of its cornice, pediments, and pilasters and be reborn with a new facade of aluminum and glass.
The Colonial Club opened in 1892; at the time its design was called colonial style. The cafe overlooked the billiard room, and there was a bowling alley, a dining room, wine cellars, a library and ballroom. One of the main objectives of the club was to preserve Revolutionary War relics. The club's real distinction was its relatively enlightened attitude about women. It was "the third social club in the city to admit ladies to the privileges of its restaurant." The New York Times reported in 1893, "One of the elevating purposes of the club was to enjoy the society of pure and honorable women."
Michael Perlman, a preservationist in Queens who championed the building, explains: "The Colonial Club's future demolition will mark more than the destruction of bricks and mortar, but the eradication of a story of the roots of the Upper West Side."
Read the full story: Colonial Club: A Landmark in All but Name
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