This gorgeous building was built in 1910 by the United Shoe Machinery Corporation (United Shoe) which, at that time, was the largest employer in Beverly, Massachusetts, and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of shoemaking equipment. The Clubhouse was a social and recreational facility for the United Shoes employees, which worked long hours and sought after-work activities. The company was a leader for the improvement of the working and living conditions of its employees, something many employers could do more of today… The company hired architect Henry Bailey Alden to design the clubhouse, later hiring him to design the Boston Headquarters. The company’s employees had access to the facility until 1971 when the Clubhouse and surrounding 300 acres were sold to a private developer. In 1978, the City purchased the Clubhouse and 168 acres which the City of Beverly continued to use as a golf course. The developer retained the additional 132 acres for housing and conservation. The Arts and Crafts style building is an excellent example of the style on the North Shore with a stuccoed wood-frame construction with half-timbering and porch verandah at the front and down the side.
Buildings of New England 