FAY CLUB CELEBRATES 140TH ANNIVERSARY
FITCHBURG » Walking into The Fay Club on Main Street is like stepping back in time, with Frank Sinatra tunes playing on the sound system and gorgeous original woodwork and finishes, painted walls, and stainedglass features found throughout the elegant Victorian that was completed in 1885.
The historic, members-only club, which was originally founded as the Park Club at the corner of Main Street and Wallace Avenue in 1881, is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year.
“George Fay was a charter member and when he passed away, his daughter Lucy decided to donate the Fay residence to the Park Club,” said club President Steven Duvarney. “We have the original letter from Lucy on the wall at the club outlining the details of the donation. The Park Club graciously accepted the gift and they voted to rename the club to The Fay Club in honor of the magnificent gift.”
The private club moved to the current 658 Main St. location in 1910 and has run as The Fay Club ever since, operating as a businessman’s private club until the 1960s and 1970s when it started transitioning into a social club.
“Certainly, there was a large portion of the membership that was still business and professional people, but there was an increasing social aspect that drew residents from the North County to join,” Duvarney said.
He said that back in its heyday it wasn’t unusual to have 120 or more people gathered for lunch at the club on any given day.
“Members were business owners and people who worked in downtown Fitchburg,” Duvarney said.
His family is one of those businesses ingrained in the local community — Duvarney Jewelers opened a location in Fitchburg in 1971 after establishing one in Clinton in 1854. Duvarney said his grandfather
was a member of The Fay Club and “loved the members.”
“Sentimentality, that’s what drew me in,” Duvarney said of joining the club himself almost 30 years ago.
Duvarney cites dues increases and the face of downtown businesses evolving for the “downward spiral” of membership plummeting in recent years. In 2015, facing the closure of the club because membership “was down substantially,” Duvarney said they voted to suspend operations. By the following year they were back open and back in business after Duvarney and some of the other club members “explored lower dues,” offering a more affordable membership for less than $500 a year.
“We started this grassroots membership drive and made calls and got 300 people to commit to join,” he said, adding they had just 60 or so members when they suspended operations.
Duvarney said they are determined to keep the club going and attract more members.
“Casual users are no longer coming, it’s more social users,” he said. “This is the case today where we have a calendar of social events and dining from Wednesday through Saturday and the club is available to members for private events for family or business.”
With the anniversary upon them, they are holding a big membership drive this year and are finally seeing a rise in revenue that, like so many other businesses, was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic challenged a very successful business model we had been enjoying,” he said. “Fortunately, we are seeing levels coming back up.”
Due to an increase in operations costs, Duvarney said the dues are now $575 a year but that they offer new member incentives for those who want to try out the club for three months or come in as a new member at the modified rate.
They are booking more functions, events and celebrations, such as birthdays and anniversaries, these days as people become “more comfortable gathering” together again,
Duvarney said, and are back to a higher capacity in the dining area and in the function room on the second floor, which can seat up to 100 people.
“The business model of the club relies on functions and events from and for the members,” he said. “This revenue component is what enables us to keep the dues reasonable for a club like this. When you remove all events from the operation, it’s a challenge to cover the fixed expenses on the existing dues and dining from the members. Fortunately, this function and event business is bouncing back, and we expect to return to pre-pandemic levels soon, provided COVID numbers stay low.”
Duvarney said the clubhouse itself is “certainly a unique aspect,” with secret built-in cabinets used to “hide hooch” during prohibition, a billiard room where members can enjoy a cigar, and a third floor that used to be servants quarters.
“If you appreciate detailed woodwork and old-world craftsmanship, the building won’t disappoint you,” he said, adding that the building has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1978 “because it’s one of the premier works” of renowned architect Richard Upjohn, co-founder of the American Institute of Architects.
“The members also understand their membership is helping to preserve this magnificent building,” Duvarney said.
He said the staff prides themselves on knowing the active members by name and “feel like extended family,” including club historian and bar manager Leslie Piermarini, who has been there for 25 years.
“She knows just about everyone, their likes and dislikes,” Duvarney said. “The club feels like your home away from home for many members.”
The Fay Club members can enjoy special events such as wine pairings, an annual brunch with Santa Claus, Casino Night on Nov. 5, when they will celebrate the 140th anniversary, and more. For more information, call 978-345-4537, email reservations@thefayclub.com, visit https://thefayclub.com or follow The Fay Club on Facebook and Instagram.