THE WHARTON HOUSE - UNCOVERED
BY JACK IN THE BOX
The Wharton House was founded in 1910 by three distinguished New Yorkers - Robert Wharton, Nathanial Cavendish and Thomas Waldorf.
There are unsubstantiated rumors that Vincent Archibald murdered the namesake of The Wharton House (William Wharton, who was Robert Wharton's son) to buy his way in as a co-owner of the most exclusive private club in New York City.
Today, the club is co-owned by the following men:
ALCOTT CAVENDISH
VINCENT ARCHIBALD
XAVIER WALDORF
Alcott Cavendish is the managing owner
of the club. Alcott owns Cavendish Capital and has a BS degree in Management form Indiana University.
Vincent Archibald is a defense attorney in Manhattan. Vincent has JD degree from Yale University.
Xavier Waldorf is a professor of Creative Writing at Columbia University. Xavier has a Ph.D. in English from Harvard University.
The dress code requires the gentlemen to wear jackets and ties at all times with turtlenecks and ascots not acceptable. Ladies must wear dresses, skirts, dressy pant suits, and are not allowed to wear jeans, leggings or any form of stretch pants. T-shirts of any kind are not acceptable. No pets are allowed of any kind.
Cell phones and laptops are permitted during entry, but not to be used on the premises. At the entrance, there is a body scanning device, which will scan for items that are not allowed (i.e. weapons, outside beverages or food, etc.). However, if someone wanted to cause chaos or harm others in the club - they'd just have to grab one of the many weapons from the walls.
The club is shaped in an octagon with a main room in the center called the War Room, which has medieval style weapons along the walls with a bar near the center. The rooms surrounding the War Room all have different themes of weaponry. The founders of the club were fascinated with war, so they themed each room with knives, guns, poisons, or other displays on the walls.
I tagged along as a guest of the club (I'll never tell with whom), and took some unauthorized photos. Forgive me if the angles and lighting are a bit off - I had a feeling I was being watched. The bylaws forbid any photos to be taken while inside of the club, but as you know...I'm a rule-breaker :) See below:
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This is the War Room. You can see the bar here, but in each nook, there are displays of medieval weaponry. (See below).
This shot was taken inside of the War Room on the wall in one of the nooks.
This is a gun display on the wall besides the entrance to the restrooms.
This is a display of poison on a shelf in the Conservatory. Rumor has it that the poisons are real in the vials on the shelves in the club.
Therefore, you can see why the club has been nicknamed as Murder Club by those who have witnessed the macabre displays of weaponry. Why the current owners don't seek to change this decor is beyond me. Something that might have been appropriate or desirable in 1910 is not fit for modern times. I've spoken to many of the club's members, and most of them say they would like to see the place gutted and remodeled. In order to be a member of this organization, you must be within the lineage of an original member from 1910 - either by blood or marriage.This club is the most exclusive in Manhattan's Upper East Side but only because of the history and high society members who are connected to the upper crust of the world - not because of the atmosphere.
My suggestion to the owners of the club - hire an interior decorator. You can afford it!
Unveiling the scandals of the rich & powerful, one secret at a time.
.Jack Out of the Box