The Wilmington Club was established on October 1, 1855. It is the fourth oldest such club in the United States. The Club is housed in the historic John Merrick House, a three-story brownstone mansion built in 1864 in the Italianate architectural style. The mansion was originally the residence of John Merrick, a successful carriage manufacturer. The Wilmington Club acquired the mansion in 1900 and has occupied it continuously since. The Clubhouse is Wilmington’s only surviving brownstone mansion and is registered on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. Since its founding, the Club’s membership has included leaders of Delaware business, legal, financial, and political communities. It remains today Wilmington’s premier social club.