Five Decades on the Down Low : K Street Magazine

Under the Sign of the Indian King, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams talked politics over food and ale. Under that same sign, members of Georgetown’s private City Tavern Club rest in those 200 year old chairs, enjoying fine food and a little hushed history.

“You would probably have to know a member to hear about it,” says City Tavern Club General Manager Steve Andronico, who balances the effort of sustaining the club fiscally while maintaining its exclusivity and selective swank.

Built in 1796, this last remaining federal-era tavern was a central part of early Washington history – and even life pre-Washington, DC, when Georgetown was, itself, a bustling center of commerce.

The unofficial city hall was the site of innumerable social occaisions, such as the night in 1800 when the people of Georgetown hosted a dinner for John Adams. That night’s 18 toasts to the future President are recreated annually in a special event, as are an annual brunch commemorating Ronald Reagan‘s morning meal at the club in 1981 and other themed events.

Now celebrating its 50th year, the City Tavern Club has flourished after a group of concerned citizens, including Frida and the late Edward Burling, founded CTC as a private social club in 1959 with the mission to preserve the historic building and share its stories.

“The history of the club is Washington, before Washington was Washington,” Andronico boasts. “It’s a good time with good food and a great professional network that is saving a worthwhile piece of our past.”

Mixing a young, vibrant set with a seasoned, prominent membership, the City Tavern Club’s 50 year benchmark also proves its longevity as a breeding ground for policial and social heavyweights with a cultural conscience.

“It’s not a place for everyone to come in,” Andronico says. The opportunity to sit on the seats of our forefathers is members only.

Photo credit: Alfredo Flores