The University Club was founded in 1904 with the theme of “Enter all of ye who have a degree
of good fellowship and learning.” William Howard Taft, then Secretary of War, was elected as
the Club’s first President. The Club’s first clubhouse was located at 1726 I Street, NW. In 1921,
The Racquet Club of Washington dedicated its facility at 1135 Sixteenth Street, with General
“Black Jack” Pershing officiating. In 1936, the two clubs merged and 1135 Sixteenth Street,
known affectionately as “The Mansion on Sixteenth Street,” has been the home of the
University Club ever since.
The building is part of The Sixteenth Street Historic District. While the Historic District was
listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it was not until 2023 that the Board of
Governors of the University Club began the application process to have The Mansion on
Sixteenth Street designated as a historic landmark. The DC Preservation Board granted
landmark designation status in 2024 and the University Club Historic Preservation Foundation
(UCHPF) was incorporated shortly thereafter. IRS designation as a 501(c)(3) public charity
followed.
University Club leaders Charlie Berardesco, Doug Bonner, Paul Centenari, Virginia Marentette,
and Greg McGillivary each pledged $50,000 as seed money to get the new foundation up and
running. The UCHPF Board of Directors approved the first grant to the University Club for
historic preservation in 2025 and continues to work with Club management and leadership to
identify future historic preservation projects where UCHPF could assist.
