Surrounded by modern skyscrapers, and hemmed in by development, this picturesque gabled building seems out of place in the heart of downtown Seattle. But it's that juxtaposition that illustrates that this is an historic building, much older than its glass and steel neighbors. Moreover, it is a quiet dignified presence in a world of cacophony, subtly announcing its function without means of neon or glitz. For this is a place where the city's elite gather to get away from it all. The Rainier Club was founded by Judge Thomas Burke, E.M. Carr, and W.A. Peters as a club for men in 1888. By the 1970's it was admitting people of both sexes. The original building was located where the downtown library is now. The current building was erected in the early 1900's, and was modeled after Aston Hall in Birmingham, England. In 1929, architect Carl F. Gould designed a complementary south wing and a new entrance.