From Holland Mania, to kroepoek in Rockefeller Center and an online pub quiz..

A small history of The Netherland Club of New York.

With so much “Dutch activity” already taking place, why did a small group of New Jersey and New York residents decide in 1903 to form yet another club? There were already several smaller religious and social organizations in the New York State area and even two Dutch-language weekly newspapers! 

Well..major celebrations were held throughout the United States in 1898, when Princess Wilhelmina reached her 18th birthday and ascended to the throne. The Dutch immigrants were prominent and respected around the turn of the 1900 century culminating in the hugely popular Hudson-Fulton celebration in 1909.  One way the memories of Hudson and Fulton were honored was in the replication of Hudson's Halve Maen and Fulton's Clermont, the sailboat and steamship respectively that each navigated on the river. Both vessels were included in the Celebration's “Grand Naval Parade”. The Dutch portion of the parade was particularly significant to the Celebration because Dutch contributions to New York history were especially revered at the time, inspired by a revisionist history movement known as "Holland Mania”, sweeping the country aiming to underscore the Dutch presence in New York from Dutch values, such as religious tolerance to the importance of education.
Then also, the main booster was the Dutch Ambassador in Washington. Perhaps inspired by "The Dutch Club," which operated on 22 Regent Street S.W. in Washington, D.C., a group of some forty Dutch businessmen met under the Ambassador’s leadership in the winter of 1903 and decided to create "The Netherland Club of New York"!

There were important Dutch businesses with New York connections, like the Holland America Line that played a prominent role. The newly founded club soon acquired a townhouse on 47 East 25th Street. It had a professional kitchen - complete with a chef - which provided restaurant service for lunch and dinner, and there was, reportedly, an excellent wine cellar.

Membership ran around 200, due to the relatively high membership fees. Of course, deserving special mention is the most generous move by one of the members who decided in 1906 to donate and cover the mortgage of $25,000! As was the norm at that time the Club was for males (gentlemen) only.

After struggling for several years, the Board finally decided in 1938 to sell its building. A long-term solution was found at the newly built Rockefeller Center where the Club would operate a Luncheon Club for American members and the income would subsidize the Dutch activities.

Rockefeller Center was also the location of the newly established Holland House, a public restaurant in the Dutch tradition, as well as the offices of the Consul General and the Netherland Chamber of Commerce in the United States. For the next fifty years the Rockefeller Center location was the center of Dutch life in New York. The Club was a welcoming spot for business luncheons in a fabulous location in Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan with a view on the skating rink and a menu that included Indonesian Nasi Rames with Kroepoek. 

The Club spirit carried on after the liberation, and for many years the regularly scheduled activities, as well as the many special events, were attended by numerous members and guests. They included the annual Heineken/Herring celebration where KLM flew in Fishermen from Volendam with their spouses to prepare and present in their original Volendam costumes the raw new herring served along with Bols Jenever; Then there was Sinterklaas for children and for members where de Sint “came over from Spain” with gifts, pepernoten and chocolade letters; Koniginnedag and not to forget the New Year’s receptions, sponsored by the Club and The Dutch Consulate in New York. 

After long and often heated debates, the Club decided in 1974 to accept women as members. With considerable corporate support, the Club quarters were renovated in 1983. Also, a major strategic change took place by repositioning and refocusing the Club from a Business to a Social and Family Club, with a membership fee that was less than half the original fee structure. The balance sheet of the Club was brought in balance! 

The focus moved to covering a broader spectrum of the qualities of the Dutch in America, Europe and around the globe. Also, ‘Holland’ started to be correctly presented in its full impressive capabilities and qualities including Banking, Water Management, Culture, Educational Institutions, Architecture, Aviation and the Oil business. The Club and the Consulate started working closely together and the Consulate was represented by a member of its staff on the Board of the Club. The funding of the programming was made possible by increased membership income and more corporate sponsors.

 In 2003 the Club celebrated its centennial with a spectacular dinner/banquet event with Crown Prince Willem Alexander, Princess Maxima and Princess Christina attending. 

And now, in 2021, for the first time in the 118 year history of our Club we have hardly been able to bring our members together for almost a year and a half. Due to COVID 19 we have been forced to use our creativity in keeping our members updated and involved.
The internet has made a lot more possible, online pub quizzes, our Sunday Matinees, and even Sinterklaas was able to visit us through Zoom in December 2020.

The Board and General Managers of The Netherland Club of New York are proud of and pleased with your support and look forward to seeing you again soon in the very near future.

By Veerle van Buuren Stramrood

For the NLCLUB.NYC

June 10th, 2021