Founded in 1913, the Club Lafayette is a private club for business people. Intended by its founders to provide a space for Lowell's Franco-American population, there were ninety-seven charter members. The club was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French general who fought alongside the patriots in the American Revolutionary War, and who later settled in the United States. The club moved locations several times before settling in its current location at 465 Fletcher Street in 1939. Traditionally, Club Lafayette membership was exclusively male, with women only allowed to attend during public and family functions. However, the Club is now open to all US citizens of French descent. The Lafayette Club's website gives this description: "A private city club providing personalized and outstanding service in a casual, upscale atmosphere. The Club Lafayette is a business and social club offering the perfect environment for hosting meetings or social events, and getting together with associates, family, and friends."
This LibGuide contains a History of the Club Lafayette drafted by Albert L. Bourgeois circa 1943 for Lowell's French newspaper, L'Etoile, on the event of the paper's 50th anniversary.
