Waverley Country Club Clubhouse Portland, Oregon

Text courtesy of the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Parks Service. Minor transcription errors or changes in formatting may have occurred; please see the Nomination Form PDF for official text. Some information may have become outdated since the property was nominated for the Register.

The Waverlely Country-Club Clubhouse, located in unincorporated Clackamas County, Oregon , is significant locally and eligible for listing in the National Register under Criterion C in the category of Architecture. The building embodies the distinctive characteristics of a building type as an excellent and largely intact example of the country-club clubhouse. In the mid-to-late 19th century, social clubs appeared in most major cities; Portland had the Arlington Club (1867) and later the University Club (1897). In some instances, clubs were associated with sports; in Portland, the example is the Multnomah Athletic Club, founded in 1891. By the turn of the century, with the confluence of new transportation modes, particularly the automobile, and the rise of the popularity of golf, the club concept was translated into a summer club or more appropriately titled, the country club. Typically, these clubs were organized along the lines of city clubs, combining exclusive membership, social activities, and sport activities. Unlike the city clubs, however, women and families were not excluded but often actively involved. As the concept blossomed, the clubhouse became the keystone of the club, with facilities not only to support the sporting activities but also dining-rooms , ballrooms, card rooms , and the like. Typically, these clubhouses also included guest rooms to accommodate members and their families for overnight stays. As the country-club grew in prestige, new clubhouses required the skills and reputation of professional architects. Waverley, built in 1913, fully embodies this building type and is the earliest extant example of the clubhouse in Oregon.