Antelope Club

The Antelope Club
Private club
Founded 1956
Headquarters 615 N. Delaware St. Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Website www.theantelopeclub.com

The Antelope Club is a social club in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is governed by a nine member board of directors, elected by club members. The Antelope Club is one of the very few establishments in Indianapolis which still permit smoking indoors.

Membership requirements

Membership in the Antelope Club is open to men and women over the age of 21. Dues are $150 a year, and membership applications require the signatures of two existing members. For an additional one-time fee of $100, a member can upgrade their membership to a Voting Membership which allows the member to stand as, or vote for, Board of Directors candidates.

Board of directors

The board of directors consists of 9 voting members who serve three year terms. Each year, three seats are open for election. The executive committee is elected among the board.

The 2016 board of directors is:

Club history

In 1947, a group of Indianapolis men began meeting regularly to drink at Hussey's Tavern. After being thrown out of Hussey's, they began to meet on the second floor of La Rue's[1] It was suggested that the men begin an annual trip to Douglas, Wyoming to hunt Antelope. The meat from these trips would be brought back to Indianapolis and served at an annual 'Man of the Year' party, where one deserving man would be roasted and honored for contributions to the community or the club. Later, other events were organized, including holiday parties, fishing trips, charity fundraisers, and excursions to the Indianapolis Speedway to attend qualifications and the Indianapolis 500.

Charter members of the club included Indianapolis Mayor Alex Clark, Indiana Governor Harold W. Handley, Olympic Silver medalist in swimming Frank McKinney Sr., Sheriff Dan Smith, Ed French, and the first Club President, Al Schilling.

A postcard announcing the opening of the Antelope Club in April, 1964.

The Antelope Club was officially chartered in June 12 of 1956 as the Indiana Chapter of the Wyoming Antelope Club, Alex Clark was named the first 'Grand Antler,' and Al Schilling was named the first president. The association's charter was drafted by Tom Quinn Sr. at the Washington Hotel bar and outlined the purpose:

After ultimately being expelled from La Rue's, the club began meeting at the Mecca Club, which was then located at 1421 North Central Ave.

In 1963, the club held a car raffle to raise $8,400 for a down payment on the house at 615 N. Delaware St. A meeting was held at the Speedway Holiday Inn where a motion was made and passed to sell club equity shares for $100 each. Judge Paul Lustgarten purchased the first share, and approximately $22,000 was raised. After extensive renovation, the club grand opening was held on April 10, 1964.

In 1967, an apartment block across Delaware street became available. On June 9, 1967, the club took out a $110,000 mortgage and purchased the property. The apartment building was demolished, and a parking lot was built.[2]

Like many private clubs, the Antelope Club saw declining membership throughout the late twentieth century, from roughly 1,000 members in 1980 to about 500 in 2004. As of 2015, the membership sat at around 400.[3]

On January 3, 2016, a fire broke out in the club basement due to old and faulty wiring. The club was closed for several weeks of repair and renovation during which members met regularly on the second floor of The Elbow Room, a bar on Pennsylvania street. The Antelope Club was re-opened on February 10, 2016.

Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann speaking to the downtown GOP club in the Antelope Club dining room February 6, 2015.

Building history

The building at 615 North Delaware Street was originally constructed in 1898 as a private residence by Joseph C. Gardner and his wife, Minnie Gardner (nee Richenmeyer).[4] Joseph Gardner was a worker at, and eventual owner of, his father's sheet-iron company.

City directories list Joseph Gardner residing at the house from 1899 until 1947. It remained vacant until 1952, when it was remodeled to house office space. From 1952 until 1954, two insurance offices, Edward Donaldson's Triangle Insurance Agency and John W. Brouwer's Brouwer Agency, Inc. occupied the house. In 1954, the second floor contained the offices of accountant Donald Weinberg and the Speakman-Devoll Company, who dealt in duplicating machines. The house was again vacant in 1955 before serving as the offices for the Standard Motor Indemnity Insurance Company from 1956 to 1959. The house was vacant once again from 1961 to 1964, when it was purchased by the Antelope Club.

Architectural features

Originally built as a private residence, the Antelope Club is an example of Neo-Classical architecture. The facade includes Corinthian columns, bay windows, and a second-story balcony. Inside the club is a bar, dining room, game room, two meeting and event rooms, an office, and the Al Schilling Cigar Lounge.

The wood-frame structure rests on a red brick foundation and was originally clad in wood clapboards. It reflects the popular Queen Anne style in its varied roofline and projected bay windows. The house originally featured a metal roof, likely provided by the Joseph Gardner Company. The interior was trimmed with oak and featured large rooms that could be accessed by opening pocket doors. As originally built, the Gardner house resembled Plan No. 32 in the book Convenient Houses (1889), published by Indianapolis architect Louis H. Gibson. A back porch was added in 1915.

Upon purchase by the Antelope Club, remodeling was undertaken to better suit the club's needs. The front parlor and reception hall were combined into one large dining room and the front wall of the first floor was removed, allowing a new bay window to be installed in place of the original front porch. A new portico with four Corinthian columns was constructed across the front of the house, and the roof of the dining room was converted to a second-story balcony. Rooms in the north east of the house were combined to create a bar. New restrooms were installed and a one-story breezeway was built over the south side yard to serve as a new entrance.

For many years, a large satellite dish was mounted prominently on the roof of the club.[5]

Notable members

Photo gallery

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Alex Clark "Antelope Club, The First 30 Years," The Jackalope, July 20, 1977.
  3. ↑ J.K. Wall "Private clubs cope with changing times," Indianapolis Star, April 19, 2004, C1.
  4. ↑ "Yesterday's Weddings" Indianapolis Journal, November 28, 1889,5;
  5. ↑

External links

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