L’Hirondelle Club is a private social club located in Ruxton,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and is the oldest such club in the

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

region. Established in 1872, L'Hirondelle remains true to its original mission of being "a club formed by friends for the purpose of creating a place in which they and their families can gather for social and athletic activities in a gracious and intimate atmosphere." L’Hirondelle provides its membership with resort-style racquet and aquatics facilities as well as excellent dining and social event offerings.

Facility

Dining

The club is noted for its American Fare as well as its

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

. It features two main dining rooms: the Grille Room for casual and family dining, and the Lounge Room for formal dining.

Gentlemen ''Gentleman'' (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man; abbreviated ''gent.'') is a term for a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire ...

are required to wear

jackets A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. Jackets without sleeves are vests. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and l ...

in the Lounge, and

sportswear Sportswear or activewear is athletic clothing, including footwear, worn for sports activity or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons. Typical spor ...

is prohibited. Dining is also offered in the bar area, with a full menu and

bar food A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private hou ...

available. The club hosts numerous

fête In the United Kingdom and some of its former colonies, a fête or fete is a public festival organised to raise money for a charity, typically held outdoors. It generally includes entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Fetes are ty ...

s for its members, including an annual

Crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

Feast, poolside grill nights,

wine tasting Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...

s, and

Oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

Roasts.

Bar

The club features a large dine-in bar area which was constructed in 2007. One of the most popular drinks at the club has been the "Southside."

Other facilities

The Tavern Room, on the ground floor, features a bar and bowling. The Great Room, in the center of the main level, is the usual site of balls and buffets. The club also features locker room facilities in the clubhouse, as well as in the tennis house, a paddle hut for winter activities, and

parking facilities Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and usually leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the bu ...

. Use of

cellular phones A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

is prohibited within the clubhouse.

Membership

Exclusivity

Membership is attainable only through nomination by a current member. Nominees must then be approved by a membership committee. An initiation fee and a monthly fee are required.

Guest policy

A private club, L’Hirondelle members are permitted to host guests. Moreover, members of select local clubs are also permitted to attend under certain conditions and circumstances. L’Hirondelle has such arrangements with sundry Baltimore area clubs, including the

Baltimore Country Club Baltimore Country Club is a private club in Baltimore, Maryland, with two campuses, one in the city's Roland Park neighborhood and the other in the north suburb of Lutherville. It is one of only twelve clubs nationwide to operate two campuses. T ...

, the

Sparrows Point Sparrows Point is an industrial area in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, adjacent to Edgemere. Named after Thomas Sparrow, landowner, it was the site of a very large industrial complex owned by Bethlehem Steel, known ...

Country Club, the Greenspring Valley Hunt Club, and the Elkridge Club.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Official websiteUnited States Paddle Tennis Association (USPTA)"Satellite Bar" at Facebook.com
Sports clubs and teams established in 1872 Tennis venues in the United States Sports clubs and teams in the United States Buildings and structures in Baltimore County, Maryland 1872 establishments in Maryland