Wilmington Club, also known as the John Merrick House, is a historic

clubhouse Clubhouse may refer to: Locations * The meetinghouse of: ** A club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal ** In the United States, a country club ** In the United Kingdom, a gentlemen's club * A ...

located at Wilmington,

New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of th ...

, United States. It was designed by architect Thomas Dixon and built in 1863, as a three-story, five bay "T"-plan brownstone dwelling in the

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

style. The Wilmington Club purchased the building in 1900, and expanded it between 1936 and 1950 and in 1966. and The Club incorporated in 1877.

History

Although oral history suggests that Edmund G. Lind of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

was the architect of record, numerous newspaper reports from 1863 suggest that the architect was actually Thomas Dixon, who also practiced in Baltimore. Dixon was architect of the Wilmington Grand Opera House built several years later. The March 13, 1863 issue of ''The Daily Gazette'', as well as the March 10, 1863 issue of ''The Delaware State Journal'' and the March 12, 1863 issue of ''The Delaware Republican'' ran the following news article: "Improvement. H.F. Dure has contracted with John Merrick, Esq., to erect a beautiful mansion for him, on his lot located on Market street, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets, for about $21,000. This house when finished, will be one of the most convenient and substantial residences in this city. It will have all of the modern improvements, and will be built in the best style. Mr. Thomas Dixon, formerly of this city, now of Baltimore, is the Architect. Perkins & Weldie, have contracted with Mr. Dure to do the Brick work: Murdick & Duff the Painting, and Robert Haddock the Plastering. The lot has been staked out and the digging of the cellars will be commenced immediately. The mansion is to be completed by the 25th of December next." It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2006.

References

Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Italianate architecture in Delaware Buildings and structures completed in 1864 Buildings and structures in Wilmington, Delaware National Register of Historic Places in Wilmington, Delaware {{Delaware-NRHP-stub