History of Iris Club. Located in Wyomissing Pa.
The Iris Club was built at the direction of Ferdinand Thun and
Henry Janssen. Thun and Janssen were German immigrants that started
Textile Machine Works in 1892. The building was officially opened
in 1916 as a social club owned by executives of the Textile Machine
Works.
The Iris Club was named in honor of Bertrand H. Farr, whom was
world renowned for growing irises locally in Wyomissing. Between
1933 and 1950 an addition was constructed on the West side of the
building. The exact date is unknown. The lower level of this
addition was completely trimmed in Mahogany and only used for
extremely special occasions. The Club was sold to its members in
1957. During its years of operation members enjoyed bowling,
banquets, weddings, and fine dining. The members sold bonds to
raise operating capital and the club remained in operation at this
location until 1991 when the building was put up for sale.
The building was eventually sold to a private individual in 1993
with the intention of creating apartments. From 1991 to 2012 the
building remained unopened. Chevrock Property and Construction
Services purchased the building in 2013 and immediately began
preparations to modernize the building and convert it to luxury
apartments.