56-573: The Pendennis Club is a private social club located at 218 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard (formerly Walnut Street) in Louisville, Kentucky . It originated as a gentlemen's "city" club on the model of the clubs in London, Britain, of which White's Club founded in 1693 is the progenitor. The Pendennis Club has long been regarded as the preeminent social club in Kentucky and one of the premier clubs in
112-475: A block east from the location of the original, in 1927–1928. This notable Georgian Revival building with nearly 80,000 square feet under roof was designed by the Louisville firm of Nevin, Wischmeyer & Morgan. Architect Frederic L. Morgan contributed all the designs for the exterior and interior additions and renovations. Local contractor Wortham Construction oversaw construction. Mr. Nevin commented at
168-540: A building at the southwest corner of 4th and Walnut Streets–which is the site of the present Seelbach Hotel (built 1905). The club's first president Maj. John Montgomery Wright (1841–1915) was elected at the latter meeting. He was a graduate of West Point , a Union veteran of the Civil War, and later served as Clerk of the United States Supreme Court . Also at that meeting, the members adopted
224-570: A companion afternoon edition of the paper, The Louisville Times , in May 1884. In 1896, Watterson and Haldeman opposed Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan over his support of free silver coinage. This unpopular decision upset readers and advertisers, many of whom pulled their support for The Courier-Journal . Kentucky voted for the Republican candidate in 1896, the first time in state history, and local political leaders blamed
280-653: A drink that had long existed. Wondrich writes: Since the Chicago Daily Tribune was already discussing ‘old fashioned cocktails’ in February of 1880 and the Pendennis Club wasn’t founded until 1881, I think it’s safe to pronounce this myth busted. Thirdly, the 1913 cocktail book by the long-time manager of the club does not list an old fashioned whiskey cocktail, nor credit it to the club he had long managed. An old fashioned toddy (without bitters)
336-763: A near-regular and gained respect for his work. The newspaper resumed polling on elections, and began video streaming its editorial-board conferences with major candidates, under Publisher Arnold "Arnie" Garson, who came from the Argus Leader, Gannett's paper in Sioux Falls, S.D., in late 2008. Garson is an outspoken promoter of the future of printed newspapers in the digital age. Under him, the paper began keeping occasional major stories or sports columns off its website and promoting them as print exclusives. Most of these have run on Sundays; in July 2009, Garson announced that
392-558: A new newspaper, The Louisville Daily Journal , began distribution in the city and, in 1832, the Journal absorbed The Focus of Politics, Commerce and Literature . The Louisville Journal was an organ of the Whig Party and was founded and edited by George D. Prentice , a New Englander who initially came to Kentucky to write a biography of Henry Clay . Prentice edited the Journal for more than 40 years. In 1844, another newspaper,
448-406: A proposal to name the club for the fictional Arthur Pendennis, who was seen as a paradigm club man, from William Makepeace Thackeray 's History of Pendennis: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy (published 1850). Arthur Pendennis's crest, which was described but not depicted in this novel, and the motto nec tenui penna (meaning "with unfailing wings") were adopted for
504-709: A strong news content increase by 29%. In 1989, the paper's news staff won the Pulitzer Prize for general local reporting for what the Pulitzer board called "exemplary initial coverage" of a collision that was the nation's worst drunk-driving crash and school-bus accident. In 2005, cartoonist Nick Anderson won the paper's 10th Pulitzer, but when he left for the Houston Chronicle , the paper did not replace him, instead relying largely on submissions from local cartoonists. One, lawyer Marc Murphy, has become
560-462: A third-round technical knockout over Ronnie Craddock, whom he had also just beaten in the recent Golden Gloves heavyweight final. Later that year, he participated in the Olympics and turned professional. His participation in the club's event is not surprising since at least five of the eleven Louisville men who sponsored him in his early years were Club members. That was not the only notable event in
616-405: A whiskey "Old Fashioned Cocktail" date to 1888. The term came into use for those who wanted the simple original cocktail–liquor with bitters, sugar and water–rather than more elaborate versions that had come into being by the mid-19th century. Secondly, the recipe itself had existed for decades – it was the traditional way of making cocktails – and the name "old fashioned" was simply a re-packaging of
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#1732787127586672-430: Is a couplet with parallel and eastbound Chestnut Street and River Park Drive. However, through downtown, Liberty Street is a closer opposite-direction one-way street, and parts of Madison and Vermont Streets provide intermediate two-way parallel traffic flow over some parts of the route. The entire route is in Louisville , Jefferson County . Louisville Courier-Journal The Courier Journal , also known as
728-493: Is a long-standing story attributing the cocktail to this club. The first known version of this story in print is due to Albert Stevens Crockett of the Waldorf-Astoria , writing in 1931: Given that this is over 50 years after the term "old-fashioned cocktails" appeared in print, and over 30 years after recipes for an "old-fashioned whiskey cocktail" appeared in recipe books from Chicago, Cincinnati, and New York City, this
784-427: Is a street located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky . The street was renamed in 1978 after Muhammad Ali , a Louisville native with a highly successful Olympic and professional boxing career. Ali was three time world heavyweight champion . The one-way boulevard is approximately five miles (8.0 km) long and follows an east-to-west path carrying westbound traffic from East Chestnut Street ( Kentucky Route 864 ) to
840-661: Is also listed in Straub's 1913 book by the former manager, as the Pendennis Toddy, and the Pendennis Champagne Punch has been enjoyed by generations of Club members. Prohibition did not hinder the enjoyment by some of the club's members of their libations. On August 9, 1930, the club was raided, and six car-loads of the very best beverages were taken away. One agent commented: "I never saw so many kinds of drinks in my life." It has long been claimed that
896-492: Is listed as one of the club's six mixed drinks in the 1911 list, with recipe: The same drink appears in Straub's 1913 book, by the former manager of the club, as the Pendennis Toddy, with recipe: The same book also lists an Old Fashion Cocktail [sic], specifying Angostura and orange bitters, a piece of cut loaf sugar, and liqueur of choice. It does not specify whiskey, nor mention the Pendennis Club. Recipes for an old fashioned whiskey toddy also date to 1888. Nevertheless, there
952-509: Is not a credible claim. The persons involved do exist, however. The Waldorf bartender Crockett was a native of Maryland, while club records confirm that James E. Pepper (1850–1906), a Lexington, Kentucky resident, became a member of the club in 1893. Club oral tradition among bartenders back to Craig Talley, who started at the club in 1911, credits Pepper with introducing the Old Fashioned to New York City. Two bartenders who worked at
1008-603: The Louisville Courier Journal (and informally The C-J or The Courier ), and called The Courier-Journal between November 8, 1868, and October 29, 2017, is a daily newspaper published in Louisville, Kentucky and owned by Gannett , which bills it as "Part of the USA Today Network ". It is the newspaper with the highest number of recorded circulation in Kentucky . According to
1064-496: The 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook , the paper is the 48th-largest daily paper in the United States. The Courier-Journal was created from the merger of several newspapers introduced in Kentucky in the 19th century. A pioneer paper called The Focus of Politics, Commerce and Literature was founded in 1826 in Louisville when the city was an early settlement of less than 7,000 individuals. In 1830
1120-540: The Courier merged, and the first edition of The Courier-Journal was delivered to Louisvillians on Sunday morning, November 8, 1868. Henry Watterson, the son of a Tennessee congressman, had written for Harper's Magazine and The New York Times before enlisting in the Confederate Army. He became nationally known for his work as The Courier-Journal emerged as the region's leading paper. He supported
1176-613: The Democratic Party and pushed for the industrialization of Kentucky and the South in general, notably through urging the Southern Exposition be held in Louisville. He attracted controversy for attempting to prove that Christopher Marlowe had actually written the works of Shakespeare . He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1917 for editorials demanding the United States enter World War I . The Courier-Journal founded
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#17327871275861232-632: The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (KCHR) against the Pendennis Club and two other Clubs (the Louisville Country Club , and the Idle Hour Country Club ) claiming discrimination in their membership processes. The KCHR initially dismissed Coleman's charges because Kentucky law exempted private clubs from at least some of the anti-discrimination law. Subsequent legal developments led to a case in which
1288-629: The Louisville Morning Courier , was founded in Louisville by Walter Newman Haldeman . The Louisville Daily Journal and the Louisville Morning Courier were leading newspapers in Louisville and were politically opposed throughout the Civil War ; The Journal was against slavery while the Courier was pro-Confederacy . The Courier was suppressed by the Union and had to move to Nashville , but it returned to Louisville after
1344-597: The Old Fashioned Whisky Cocktail was invented at the Pendennis Club. This is flatly rejected as a "myth" by cocktail historians and writers Robert Simonson, David Wondrich, and Simon Difford on three grounds. Firstly, the first mention in print of "old fashioned cocktails" was in the Chicago Daily Tribune in February 1880, before the Pendennis Club was opened, and most commonly referred to old fashioned whiskey cocktails; recipes for
1400-426: The Southern Exposition was also opened in Louisville by U.S. President Chester A. Arthur . That evening, President Arthur was a guest at the Pendennis Club where he and some of his cabinet members, including Robert Todd Lincoln , enjoyed a lavish dinner. Other U.S. Presidents who have visited the club include Theodore Roosevelt , William H. Taft , and Woodrow Wilson . According to Levi Bloom, President Taft, who
1456-600: The Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled that while the Pendennis club is free from the anti-discrimination law in regards to who they have to admit as members, it was not exempt from provisions of the law that denied the right of members of discriminating clubs the right to deduct their membership fees from their taxes. Therefore, the KCHR could investigate the club to determine if this provision should be applied. That decision
1512-551: The Blackstone Hotel, he published Straub's Manuel of Mixed Drinks in 1913, as discussed above. The other known candidate, Tom Bullock (1872–1964), was a Louisville native who went to work at the club as a bartender in about 1892 and, by 1917, had become the head bartender at the St. Louis Country Club . While there, he published The Ideal Bartender in 1917 with an Old Fashion Cocktail [sic] recipe, though with no mention of
1568-460: The Courier. Only the popularity of The Louisville Times , which had no strong editorial reputation, saved the newspaper company from bankruptcy. The Courier supported Bryan in future elections. Haldeman had owned the papers until his death in 1902, and by 1917 they were owned by his son, William , and Henry Watterson. On August 8, 1918, Robert Worth Bingham purchased two-thirds interest in
1624-515: The Pendennis Club includes the basic cocktail components including sugar and water (simple syrup) and bitters – but with the Angostura brand required. In addition, fine Bourbon whisky is required and, also are one or more fruits: the recipe used at the club since at least the 1930s calls for the use of an orange slice, cherry, and a lemon twist with the former two muddled in the simple syrup. The Pendennis Club constructed its current clubhouse, about
1680-411: The Pendennis Club. A third possible candidate is identified in the 1969 edition of George Leonard Harter's Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices as Thomas Louis Whitcomb, who it says invented the cocktail at the club in 1889. No records have been found documenting this individual's existence, much less association with the club at the time. The recipe for the Old Fashioned in use at
1736-479: The Southwestern Parkway in west Louisville. The street is also formerly and less commonly known as Walnut Street east of 28th Street, including the entire downtown section, and Michigan Drive west of 28th Street. These names correspond to the old names of the street prior to its renaming in 1978. The street carries one-way westbound traffic only across its entire length. Muhammad Ali Boulevard
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1792-460: The United States numbered more such persons proportionate to its size than the Pendennis. Another notable early visitor was famed landscape architect (and designer of New York City's Central Park) Frederick Law Olmsted . On May 20, 1891, he met for dinner at the club with leading Louisville citizens and Park Commissioners during his visit to the city in which he proposed his plan for the city's park system. Club member and Park Commissioner Andrew Cowan
1848-605: The United States. The Pendennis Club was founded by Thomas Wilson Todd (1852–1892), Levi Bloom (1854–1944), John Smith Noyes (1842–1922), and William Whits Hite (1854–1908) who, with sixteen others, hosted a preliminary meeting for starting the club in Mr. Todd's office in Louisville City Hall on June 28, 1881. Two organizational meetings, on July 9 and August 10, 1881, took place in the club's first home consisting of rented space over A. J. Ross's Grocery Store, located in
1904-406: The club are credited with the drink, in both cases having published a recipe for the old fashioned when later working at a different bar, decades after other recipes had already been published. The first is Jacques Straub (1865–1920), a native of Switzerland, who came to the club by 1889 as kitchen help and later became the club's manager. After moving to Chicago in 1909 to become the wine steward of
1960-474: The club as a classical lyric tenor. The Pendennis Club has a strong tradition of cocktails, most notably claiming to have invented the old fashioned cocktail, and is also known for the eponymous cocktail, the Pendennis Club Cocktail . The claim to have invented the old fashioned cocktail is rejected as a "myth" (see below), and may be a confusion with its old fashioned toddy, but the club
2016-517: The club as well. By year's end, the crest had been rendered and was placed on bottles of Kentucky Bourbon sold to the club's members. Levi Bloom stated that the club "grew like topsy," and many of Louisville's leading citizens joined from the start. In 1883, the club purchased its first permanent home–the residence of William Burke Belknap (1811–1889), founder of Belknap Hardware & Mfg. Co., located at 332 West Walnut Street. The new clubhouse opened to members on August 1, 1883. On that same day,
2072-490: The club's ballroom as it was the setting for the "Belmont Ball" scene in the 2010 Disney movie Secretariat on October 9, 2009. Numerous Club events have long accompanied the annual running of the Kentucky Derby . Various celebrities and royalty have been guests at the club for these events, including at its very popular Post Derby Party on the night of the race. Muhammad Ali Boulevard Muhammad Ali Boulevard
2128-493: The club's history, and his outstanding character made him a true legend. As Club member and Louisville Courier-Journal publisher Barry Bingham, Sr. later explained, it could not have been long before the members noticed his dignity, his perfect manners, and his remarkable memory for names. It was a later tradition that Henry knew every man and woman in "Louisville society," and that he was familiar with their pedigrees as well. ... He retired in 1924 and died just months before
2184-460: The famed French woodblock printed wallpaper by Zuber & Cie. It opened to the members on December 11, 1928. An interesting photograph of the club's magnificent walnut-paneled library was featured in the March 27, 1948, edition of New Yorker Magazine showing the room with its commodious library tables, its generously proportioned red leather chairs and sofas, and shelves of classic books rising up to
2240-455: The first woman appointed to such a post at a major US daily newspaper. Under the leadership of C. Thomas Hardin, director of photography, the combined photography staff of The Courier-Journal and Louisville Times was awarded the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for its coverage of school desegregation in Louisville. Barry Bingham, Jr. served as editor and publisher until he resigned in 1986, shortly after his father announced that
2296-409: The greatest public service. As publisher, Bingham set the tone for his editorial pages, and pushed for improved public education, support of African Americans and the poor of Appalachia . In 1933, the newspapers passed to his son, Barry Bingham, Sr. Barry Bingham would continue in his father's footsteps, guiding the editorial page and modernizing the paper by setting up several news bureaus throughout
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2352-591: The leading local radio and television stations – WHAS-TV , WHAS-AM , and WAMZ-FM —and Standard Gravure , a rotogravure printing company that printed The Courier-Journal 's Sunday Magazine as well as similar magazines for other newspapers. Barry Bingham Jr. sought to free the papers from conflicts of interests, and through The Louisville Times , experimented with new ideas such as signed editorials. Bingham Jr. also parted with tradition by endorsing several Republican candidates for office. In 1974, Carol Sutton became managing editor of The Courier-Journal ,
2408-606: The newspaper and the Binghams for over two decades. Gill worked his way up from copy editor to chief executive officer of the Bingham Companies. In 1993, Gill retired and Edward E. Manassah became president and Publisher. February 1987 saw the last publication of The Louisville Times , which like most afternoon papers had experienced declining readership; the news operations of the two papers had previously been consolidated under Gannett. The surviving Courier featured
2464-601: The newspaper company was for sale, in large measure because of disagreements between Bingham Jr. and his sister Sallie . On January 8, 1986, Barry Bingham Sr. announced his intent to sell the family owned media properties including the Courier-Journal. In July 1986, Gannett Company, Inc. purchased the newspaper company for $ 300 million, outbidding The Washington Post and the Tribune company . Gannett appointed George N. Gill President and Publisher who had been with
2520-499: The newspapers and acquired the remaining stock in 1920. The liberal Bingham clashed with longtime editor Watterson, who remained on board, but was in the twilight of his career. Watterson's editorials opposing the League of Nations appeared alongside Bingham's favoring it, and Watterson finally retired on April 2, 1919. I have always regarded the newspapers owned by me as a public trust and have endeavored so to conduct them as to render
2576-510: The opening of the new clubhouse in 1928, in which he was to have played a major part. His legacy, though, lives on in the superlative sauce for meat that he created at the club–known as Henry Bain sauce . He sold the recipe to the club, and the club holds the trademark to it. His sauce is not only still enjoyed by the club's members, but it has also now been made available to the public in various local retail stores. A reputed nephew of Henry Bain, Roland Hayes (1887–1977), made his 1910 debut at
2632-511: The plaster-work ceiling: the room looks very much the same today and has changed little in the more than seven decades since this publication. The facade of the clubhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Today, the club's walnut-paneled billiard room with teak wood floor is one of the few surviving grand billiard rooms in the United States still in use for its original purpose. The racquet sport of Squash
2688-443: The state, expanding the news staff. During Barry Bingham, Sr.'s tenure, the paper was considered Kentucky's "Newspaper of Record" and consistently ranked among the 10 best in the nation. In 1971, Barry Bingham, Jr. succeeded his father as the newspapers' editor and publisher. The Binghams were well-liked owners popularly credited with being more concerned with publishing quality journalism than making heavy profits. They also owned
2744-402: The time that the new $ 1 million structure was designed to be "one of the finest club buildings in the country," and he emphasized to a newspaper reporter "that the very best material and equipment will go into the structure." The building remains one of the finest clubhouses in the United States and not only includes a large variety of Georgian architectural details but also includes two rooms with
2800-642: The war. Upon the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery in the Confederate states, the Journal opposed the Proclamation as an unconstitutional use of presidential power, and predicted: "Kentucky cannot and will not acquiesce in this measure. Never!" In 1868, an ailing Prentice persuaded the 28-year-old Henry Watterson to come edit for the Journal . During secret negotiations in 1868, The Journal and
2856-425: The years leading up to this date because Jewish men who they nominated were not accepted. By 1991, the club had still not admitted any African-American members. Louis Coleman Jr. , a local civil rights activist and Pastor at Shelbyville Congregational Methodist Church protested the lack of minority membership by sitting at a table in front of the club and eating lunch. That same year, Coleman filed complaints with
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#17327871275862912-401: Was a native of Cincinnati, "felt more at home and would rather come to the Pendennis Club than any other in the country." Perhaps one reason why he was so fond of the club is the following assessment of its members by later Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Arthur Krock : If the term "gentleman" is held to its proper definition to mean a civilized, educated, well-mannered man, then no club in
2968-477: Was first introduced in Louisville at the Pendennis Club in 1930, when the first of two handball courts was converted to Squash. It is about 100 by 160 feet (30 m × 49 m) in plan, not including its porte-cochere . Although one of the founding members of the Pendennis Club, Levi Bloom, was Jewish, the club did not admit another Jewish member until 1974, more than 90 years after its founding. Several prominent club members had resigned their membership in
3024-422: Was instrumental in making this project a reality. In 1895, Charles Spencer-Churchill , 9th Duke of Marlborough visited the club. That same year, Alexander Lewis composed the Pendennis 2-Step. In 1884, there came to the club the first of several staff members who would become true legends–Henry T. Bain (1863–1928). Starting as the "elevator boy," it was not long before he became, perhaps, the first Maitre d' in
3080-417: Was released in 2004. The Pendennis Club has been the venue for numerous debutante presentations and parties along with other major social events of the year. Periodically since at least 1941, the Pendennis Club has hosted a stag boxing night–with a boxing ring set up in the club's grand Georgian ballroom. On February 19, 1960, then Cassius Clay ( Muhammad Ali ) participated in this event, in which he scored
3136-548: Was well-reputed for its cocktails. An authoritative overview of the cocktail menu at the club is given in. This book, published in Louisville in 1911, lists various bars and recipes of some drinks served at them. The entry for the Pendennis club, bearing the signature of the manager at the time, Louis Herring, presents six mixed drinks: Ananias Punch [a champagne punch], Lord Baltimore Cocktail, Pendennis Cocktail [Pendennis Club cocktail], Pendennis Mint Julep, Old Fashioned Toddy, and Pendennis Eggnog. The Pendennis's Old Fashioned Toddy
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