Located in the affluent Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, the Lincoln Club was one of a number of large, sumptuous clubhouses erected in Brooklyn and Manhattan in the last two decades of the nineteenth century. One of the finest of Rudolph Daus’ buildings and one of the most sophisticated Queen Anne-style structures in New York City, the Lincoln Club is distinguished by its rich variety of subtly contrasting textures and colors and asymmetrical massing. The Roman brick and brownstone façade is enlivened by smooth brownstone bands and rich terra cotta ornament. Other notable features are a highly decorative roof gable, a round tower capped by a large, flamboyant cornice, and an unusual, asymmetrical arrangement of windows, all of which contrast sharply with the austere simplicity of the building. Founded in 1878 by a small group of men who banded together for social purposes and to further the interests of the Republican Party, the Lincoln Club was dissolved in 1931 as many of Brooklyn’s elite moved away. The clubhouse was purchased in the 1940s by the Independent United Order of Mechanics of the Western Hemisphere, a private philanthropic society that has taken great pride in restoring this dignified building.

Constructed:1889; 1940s
Designated:5/12/1981

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Cultural Landmarks of New York - From the book “The Landmarks of New York” (SUNY Press), a definitive resource on the landmarks history of New York City by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel.