Cars were rare and most Edgewood residents took the train to work. Any athletic, social or cultural activity in the evenings had to be within walking distance. This need was the genesis of the Edgewood Club, a social and cultural club for the community.

51 charter members of the Club fixed the initiation fee at $25 and the annual dues at $20, payable quarterly.

The group purchased a residence on Maple Avenue, the site where the Edgewood Primary School currently stands for $15,400.

The Club was incorporated on July 2, 1904. The Maple Avenue property was expanded and ultimately included a ballroom and stage on the second floor with bowling alleys, a billiard room, a card room a parlor and men's and women's dressing rooms on the main floor. Three tennis courts were also constructed on the property.

Tennis was a principal activity of the Club and some residents achieved prominence in the sport far outside of Edgewood. Chuck Garland became the national boys champion, an intercollegiate champion at Yale and later, the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup Team.

The Club was the athletic, civic, social and cultural center of the borough. It became known for its yearly dramatic productions which drew large audiences. These performances continued until 1992.

The Edgewood Club - A New Location

In 1916 the Club moved to its current location, the corner of Pennwood Avenue and West Swissvale to accommodate the building of the first Edgewood school. It was decided that because, the community also needed a library, combining forces to raise funds for and construct the new facility would be in everyone's best interest. The property was purchased by the Club from the Charles Mellor family at a greatly reduced price because of its intended community-centered use.

The Edgewood Club and CC Mellor Library building which was formally opened in 1918, is interesting architecturally because it is exactly fitted to its triangular plot. The building, designed by architect Edward B. Lee, is white stucco with a Spanish tile roof, a pergola and line of columns. According to Franklin Toker, author of Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait, it is "a public monument...altogether one of the best public buildings in the city." Its unique architecture accentuates the building as a focal point within the community.

One of the Club's traditional activities was an Election Night Party. Initially the results were received by telegraph, but on November 2, 1920, with radio in its experimental stage, the Edgewood Club Election Night Party was the first large group ever to hear election returns by radio from what remains KDKA radio.

The Club served as the center for the community's wartime efforts including the wrapping of bandages and preparation of packages for soldiers.

A swimming pool was opened on the site in 1958 creating such a demand for the Club's facilities that a waiting list had to be established.

About the Club in 2005

The Edgewood Club averages 375 member families, totaling over a 1,000 people. It is a non-profit corporation owned by its members and governed by a 13-member board of directors.

At least half of the members are from Edgewood and the others come from a range of surrounding communities including: Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Swissvale and others.

The Club has a swimming pool, three tennis courts, a newly refurbished ballroom, a snack bar and dining area and locker rooms.

The Edgewood Eels, the Club's swim team, has more than 120 members each summer.

Private groups use the Club for recreational activities open to the public including aerobics, yoga, fencing, dance groups (swing and salsa), bridge clubs, violin lessons and the Edgewood Garden Club and the Edgewood Foundation.

The Edgewood community enjoys the Club facilities for yearly activities such as the Holiday Light-Up Night, the library book sale, Town Meetings and various fundraisers.

The Edgewood Club proudly remains a centerpiece of the Edgewood community and a gathering place for residents not only of Edgewood, but of the entire East End of Pittsburgh.