Union League of Philadelphia
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Union League of Philadelphia
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The Union League Logo
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| Location | 140 South Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 39°56′59″N 75°9′53.37″W / 39.94972°N 75.1648250°WCoordinates: 39°56′59″N 75°9′53.37″W / 39.94972°N 75.1648250°W |
| Built | 1864-65 |
| Architect |
John Fraser Horace Trumbauer |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, Beaux Arts |
| NRHP Reference # | 79002331 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1979 |
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 Union League Of Philadelphia Tour, Wanda Kaluza |
The Union League of Philadelphia, founded in 1862 as a Patriotic Society to support the policies of Abraham Lincoln, is today a private members-only club.
Founded by Philadelphia society, it remains a bastion of the elite; among its 3,300 members are leaders in business, academia, law, medicine, politics, religion and the arts. Members gather to socialize, dine, network, attend events, exercise and relax in the 1865 Second Empire-style building. The club is ranked first on the Five Star Platinum Club list.
The Union League of Philadelphia is the oldest and most prominent of the remaining loyalty leagues. Founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln, it laid the philosophical foundation of other Union Leagues across a nation torn by Civil War. It has given loyal support to the American military in all conflicts since. Its motto is "Love of Country Leads."
As in 1862, its members prize tradition and represent the Philadelphia region’s elite in business, education, religion as well as the arts and culture. Although no longer exclusively Republican or male in membership, The Union League of Philadelphia has maintained its identity as distinctly traditional and politically conservative. The club has hosted U.S. presidents, heads of state, industrialists, entertainers and visiting dignitaries from around the world.
The club's building, a classic Second Empire-style structure with a brick and brownstone façade and dramatic twin circular staircases leading to the main entrance on Broad Street, was designed by John Fraser and completed in May 1865 [the opening was originally scheduled for March 1865, with President Lincoln in attendance, but was delayed due to wartime construction supply shortages]. In 1905, Philadelphia architect (and Union League member) Horace Trumbauer won a design competition to build major additions to the building. The Beaux Arts-style additions, completed in 1910 and 1911, expanded the length of the building to a city block. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
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