6. The Union League Club (1863)

The Union League Club on East 37th Street in Murray Hill dates back to the Civil War. It was founded by Pro-Union New Yorkers to foster support for the Union and promote ideas of citizenship and anti-corruption. At that time, similair “Union Leagues” popped up across the country in cities like Philadelphia and Chicago. In addition to its aid in raising funds for the Union army, the club also helped fund cultural endeavors such as the Metropolitan Museum of ArtGrant’s Tomb, and the construction of the Statue of Liberty.

The Union League Club moved to Murray Hill in 1931, after leaving clubhouses in Union Square and Madison Square Park. Their current home was designed by Benjamin Wistar Morris, who also designed the Cunard Building. Fifteen U.S. presidents have been members of the Union League Club including Theodore Roosevelt, Chester A. Arthur, and Herbert Hoover. Other notable members include J.P. Morgan, J.D. Rockefeller, and more recently Sandra Day O’Connor, Neil Armstrong, and Margaret Thatcher.