86-15 Lefferts Boulevard
Henry E. Haugaard
1908
NYC Individual Landmark

While local architect Haugaard was known primarily for his residential designs, this building shows his equal fluency with civic architecture. Its Classical style ornament and orange brick façade nicely complement the nearby library. Like other social clubs, whether Democratic or Republican, the Richmond Hill Republican Club (RHRC) served as a locus of community activity for the neighborhood, organizing and hosting public lectures, rallies, parades, picnics, dances and dinners. The main floor contained meeting rooms and a billiards parlor, while the basement housed a bowling alley (a large auditorium was planned for the second floor but was never constructed). Beyond its role as a local social institution, the RHRC participated in national politics by inviting prominent political figures to speak; notable appearances were made by the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. The RHRC closed in the 1980s, and the building has since been adaptively reused as a catering hall and event space.