Club History
The Chilton Club was founded in 1910 by ten prominent Boston women. They wanted a club in Boston, patterned after the Colony Club in New York, that would be more “interesting and exciting” than existing social club options for women. The new club was to be a genial, graceful retreat in the city, featuring restaurants, bedrooms, an assembly room, and a library. The ten founders expanded in number to forty-three Charter members. Invitations were extended and approximately three hundred women became the first members of the Chilton Club. The Club was named for Mary Chilton, said to be the first woman to step off the Mayflower. Its first President was Pauline Revere Thayer, Paul Revere’s great-granddaughter.
The Club occupies a prominent red brick building at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Dartmouth Street in Boston’s historic Back Bay district. The building combines two adjacent historic structures, one built in 1870 and the other in 1880. In 1909, Mrs. Thayer purchased the property at 152 Commonwealth Avenue for $120,000 to become the home of the newly formed Chilton Club. In 1925, Mrs. Thayer purchased the neighboring property at 150 Commonwealth Avenue.
The Club has a storied past as do its members. Past and current members have occupied important roles in the City of Boston as philanthropists, artists, politicians, academics, and professionals in business, finance, cultural, medical, and legal fields. The Chilton Club has hosted dignitaries and heads of state, featured notable speakers on a myriad of topics, and has been a treasured resource to many generations of women. Membership records reflect the history and social development of Boston during the 20th and 21st centuries. In October of 1988, by a vote of the members of the Chilton Club, membership was open to men. This decision followed the Boston Licensing Board’s passage of an anti-discrimination rule based on gender.
Today’s Chilton Club members hail from several states and many countries. The Chilton Club flourishes because its members believe, as strongly as the founders did, that women and men need a location to gather outside the home and office. Members enjoy the Club’s amenities, diversity of programs, activities, and special events. Whatever stage in life, members relish the opportunity to reunite with good friends, forge new relationships, and find invigoration in the ideas of others. Most significant for the Chilton Club’s sustained appeal is the common thread that weaves the membership together – the enjoyment found in the pleasure of each other’s company.