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 Photo of the Month

April 2002

Object ID:  1968.027.0027

Photographer:  Jesse Sumner Wooley

Date:  Unknown, probably ca. 1895

The Utopian Club was organized on September7, 1885 by four young men in the drug store of John H. Westcot on Front Street in Ballston Spa.  The first club rooms were located on the third floor of the First National Bank building, now the Village Office Building.  After a short time in the Wiley Building, the club rooms were relocated to the second floor of the Sans Souci Opera House Block in October 1890.  Destroyed by fire in 1900, new rooms were secured in the Kerley Building, now known as the Arcade Building, Front Street. The preamble of its constitution states:  "Believing that any society or organization of individuals, having for its purpose, the cultivation of friendship, good feeling and the improvement of society, is an honor to a community and a credit to its members, therefore we do hereby agree to form ourselves into a club for the promotion of social, intellectual and moral advancement."  Its first social event was a dance at Waverly Hall so that the young ladies of Ballston Spa could be properly introduced.

Membership in the Utopian Club was limited to fifty individuals who had to be 21 years of age.  Upon election into the club members went through some type of initiation.  Club committees included a Literary Committee, as the organization boasted a fine library, and a Billiard Committee, whose duties included supplies and repairs of the billiard table, visible in the picture above.  

 In the rear room of this picture you can see a group of men playing cards. Gambling was not permitted at the Utopian Club, nor were spirituous liquors.  The club dissolved as of January 1, 1957.    

Gift of the Ballston Spa Public Library

Thanks to John Cromie for providing some of this information.  

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