The United Republican Club History

Founded in 1880 by prominent Republicans from the 25th Ward, the United Republican Club has played an active role in Philadelphia politics for over 140 years. The club purchased its current building at 3156-58 Frankford Avenue in April 1904, and is the oldest active Republican Club in America. Over the years, the URC has hosted Governors, Senators, Supreme Court Justices, celebrities, and leaders from all walks of life. Past members include Albert Webster, Col Thomas J. Powers, and George L. Horn, for whom public schools in the 25th Ward were named. Phillies Hall of Fame slugger Chuck Klein was a member and captain of the URC bowling team. Three-term Mayor William B. Stokley was an active member, as was Henry F. Ortleib, whose family’s brewery was located in nearby Northern Liberties. The URC houses the Meehan Elephant Collection, which was donated to the club by the Meehan family after the death of William A. Meehan, General Counsel to Philadelphia’s Republican City Committee.The Club’s most valuable possession is the 1902 Alexander Milne Calder sculpture of the URC’s Secretary and Civil War hero, Col. Thomas J. Powers. Calder is best known for his sculpture of William Penn which sits a top Philadelphia’s City Hall Tower. Today, the URC is a site of GOP events and a social meeting place for key members and their guests.