The Down Town Association remains an island of quiet civility in a bustling Lower Manhattan. As a locus for nourishment, entertainment, relaxation or quiet discourse, the Club has remained of and for its members since its inception in 1859.
The Down Town Association is a member owned social club dedicated to providing our members and guests with the finest hospitality. The Association was the first club established in Lower Manhattan and is the fifth oldest club in New York. Organized at the Astor House on December 23, 1859, the first general meeting of the members was on February 14, 1860. The opulent Clubhouse, our third, was built to the designs of noted architect, and Club member, Charles C. Haight and was dedicated in 1887. An addition, opened in 1911, was designed by noted architect, and Club member, Charles Wetmore. A New York City Landmark, the Down Town Association’s Clubhouse is one of New York’s finest examples of Romanesque Revival design as well as the second oldest purpose built club building in the United States.
