Fay Club

Fay Club
Location Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°34′59″N 71°48′9″W / 42.58306°N 71.80250°W / 42.58306; -71.80250Coordinates: 42°34′59″N 71°48′9″W / 42.58306°N 71.80250°W / 42.58306; -71.80250
Built 1884[1]
Architect Richard M. Upjohn
Architectural style Gothic
NRHP Reference # 78000470[2]
Added to NRHP 31 January 1978

The Fay Club was a private social club located at 658 Main Street in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It operated from 1910 until 2015.[3]

The club's building was designed in 1883 by Richard M. Upjohn as the private home of George Fay and his daughter Lucy, and was constructed in 1884.

George Flagg Fay was a prominent businessman in Fitchburg, and was a charter member of the Park Club, founded in 1881 and housed in a building at the corner of Main Street and Wallace Street. He built the house at 658 Main in 1883-4; its position allowed him to walk across the street to the Club's facility. When he died, his daughter Lucy inherited the property, and continued to reside there until 1910, when she moved to another part of the country.[3] She decided to donate the house to her father's club; the donation was gratefully received, and to mark its significance, the club voted to change its name to the Lucy Club. The clubhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[2]

At the time located at the center of a thriving business community, the club served both as a meetingplace, dining facility, and a networking spot. Later, as families of members moved through its auspices, it became a center for weddings, showers, and reunions. However, as the city grew and transferred its vibrant core toward its suburbs, the Club membership dwindled. For the last 30 years of its existence the facility was closed during the summer months, re-opening in September.[3] Then in June 2015, the Board determined that that year's closure would be permanent.

As of January 2016 the building was being offered for sale to the public.[4] However, as of October 2016, the club had reopened following a groundswell of support and fundraising by a small group of active members.[5] [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2
  2. 1 2 National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  3. 1 2 3 Sentinel & Enterprise News, 9 July 2015, p. 1
  4. ↑ Fitchburg Real Estate. Accessed 17 January 2016
  5. ↑


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