The Wamsutta Club is a
private social club in
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
, founded in 1866. It was a club for the affluent members of New Bedford's community, which at the time was supported by the flagging
whaling
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industry ...
industry as well as the up-and-coming
textiles
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
.
The club was founded by
Charles Warren Clifford
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
, who organized an athletic club to play a new version of
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
. The social club was formally chartered in 1889. The present location was built in 1821 by James Arnold and purchased by the club in 1919.
The club's popularity soared from the 1890s to the mid-1920s when the textile industry was at its height in the city, and cotton was bought and sold by businessmen at the club.
During the Great Depression the club faced the problem of declining membership. In order to meet the needs of the expanding community dues were lowered and membership was re-established on a broader base.
Today, the club remains as a social center of the downtown New Bedford community.
In the 1960s the club was the site of meeting between Otis Stanton, brother of
Seabury Stanton
Seabury Stanton (October 9, 1892 – October 19, 1971) was an industrialist from New Bedford, Massachusetts who ran Berkshire Hathaway prior to its takeover by Warren Buffett in 1964.
Biography Early life and career
Seabury Stanton was born ...
, and
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...
when Buffett finalized his takeover of
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from ...
.
See also
*
List of American gentlemen's clubs
The following is a list of notable traditional gentlemen's clubs in the United States, including those that are now defunct. Historically, these clubs were exclusively for men, but most (though not all) now admit women.
On exclusivity and as ...
External links
Wamsutta Club Online
1866 establishments in Massachusetts
Clubs and societies in the United States
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Gentlemen's clubs in the United States
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