Lagonda Club

The Lagonda Club originated in Springfield, Ohio U.S.A. in the late 19th century and continued to the early 20th century, as an exclusive club for local prominent and corporate men.

History

The Lagonda Club originated in Springfield, Ohio U.S.A. in the late 19th century and continued to the early 20th century, as an exclusive club for local prominent and corporate men. Its name was derived from Lagonda (an early American settlement near Springfield) and the Lagonda Creek, where on its banks the town of Springfield was settled. "Lagonda" was a Shawnee Indian term meaning buck's horn and some point the creek was renamed Buck Creek.

Origin of the club started in May 1886. At that time, under the leadership of Rev. George W. Ziegler of the Wiley Chapel M.E. Church, he organized with church members 14 civic clubs. These clubs, called the Wiley's Chapel Clubs, were formed for the purpose of liquidating the church indebtness. One of them was the Wesley Lagonda Club with J. O. Underwood as president. Shortly after the name was shorten to Lagonda Club.^[1]

Meeting place

When the Lagonda Club (an exclusive social club of prominent and business men) was incorporated it purchased what was known as the Cavalier corner—High and Spring streets to build their clubhouse in mind as social haven rather than the literary opportunities. The Lagonda Club Building was designed in 1893 by Frank Mills Andrews, a leading period architect who also designed the Kentucky State Capitol and the Montana State Capitol. Completed by 1895 at expense of $25,000.,^[2] the Lagonda Club Building is an early example of Beaux-Arts architecture. The club’s main reception hall was executed in manly fashion in the Empire style. The clubhouse, a four-story structure with a large basement, built of lime stone and brick with stone molding. In October, 1904, the Lagonda Club building was more open to the members of the public and while it is not denominated a "poor man's club," there was a democratic spirit that pervaded. It afforded facilities for both dances and banquets, a social center rather than an intellectual center and yet in its reading rooms copies of Springfield and metropolitan publications are available. It had rooms for indoor sports and the wives of members enjoy the social privileges. While it has both resident and non-resident members, in order to share its advantages members had to own stock in the organization. Since many of the members belonged to other civic organizations, the Lagonda Club became more of a community center.^[3]

Founding Member List

Some earliest members were:

• J. O. Underwood-president of club.
• Edward Lyon Buchwalter, President of the Superior Drill Company and the American Seeding Machine Company, President of The Citizens National Bank of Springfield, Ohio.^[4]
• Burton J. Westcott, president of the Hoosier Drill Company, Westcott Carriage Company, Westcott Motor Company, Mayor of Springfield.

References

1. Prince, Benjamin F. A Standard History of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, With Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Educational, Civic and Social Development. Chicago and New York: American Historical Society, 1922.
2. The Ohio Blue Book. Who's Who in the Buckeye State A Cyclopedia of Biography of Men and Women of Ohio. Compiled under the direction of C. S. VAN TASSEL, Toledo, Ohio. 1917.
3. Springfield Globe Republic newspaper. May 22, 1886.