Saturn Club
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Saturn Club
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Saturn Club, April 2009
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| Location | 977 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, New York |
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| Coordinates | 42°54′38″N 78°52′13″W / 42.91056°N 78.87028°WCoordinates: 42°54′38″N 78°52′13″W / 42.91056°N 78.87028°W |
| Area | 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) |
| Built | 1922 |
| Architect | Bley & Lyman; Williams, Harry |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference # | 05000444 |
| Added to NRHP | May 19, 2005 |
Saturn Club is a private social club, founded in 1885, in Buffalo in Erie County, New York that currently operates out of an NRHP building at 977 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo, New York.
In 1885, The Saturn Club was founded by thirteen young men who wanted to congregate in a less formal setting than their father's traditional clubs. The first three founders were: Carlton Sprague, William F. Kip, and Francis Almy. They recruited the ten others including John B. Olmsted and Ansley Wilcox. They first congregated on Saturdays, hence the name, to socialize and play cards. Dues were $10 (equivalent to $266.556 in 2016) a month, and the initiation fee was a chair. With a nod to the many "University Clubs" of the time, Saturn's founders patterned their board of directors after that of a small college, including:
Initially, the members met in a house owned by Sprague's grandfather but by 1886, the members decided to rent three rooms at the rear of a dwelling at 640 Main Street. In 1887, they moved to another rented house, a small Second Empire style home at 331 Delaware Avenue, before relocating to a larger, Italianate cottage at 393 Delaware Avenue, opposite the Buffalo Club.
In 1889, the club and its 150 members formally incorporated in Erie County and decided to construct their own building. By February, the directors had purchased a lot, 417 Delaware Avenue, at the southeast corner of Delaware Avenue and Edward Streets, not far from the Buffalo Club. On this site, they constructed a three-story brick building, designed by the Marling & Burdett firm of Buffalo. The building was dedicated on December 13, 1890.
Beginning in the 1890s, the club added baseball games, lectures, costume balls, and vaudeville shows to the club’s programming. A library was initiated and debates were held on the important issues of the time. These debates often included participation with other area clubs, including the Buffalo Club, the University Club, and the Garret Club.
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