Home

The 4522 Club makes its home inside a striking three-story, red-brick Victorian house near Lindell Boulevard and Taylor Avenue, right in the heart of St. Louis’ Central West End. Its mission is simple but profound: “To provide a safe, sober, and comfortable setting for members and guests to meet and socialize—and to extend the welcoming hand of recovery to all who seek it.”

That mission has deep roots. Article Two of the Club’s 1960 Charter Amendment spelled out its purpose as providing education, spiritual guidance, group therapy, and other support for people in St. Louis and the surrounding counties struggling with alcoholism. In everyday terms, The Lindell Club became—and still is—a place where Twelve Step groups meet, friendships form, and recovery finds a home.

The building itself carries its own rich history. Built in 1894 by architect William Levy, the house was first owned by Isaac Schwab, a successful clothier and a well-known member of St. Louis’ Jewish community. Fittingly, most meetings today are still held in Isaac’s former bedroom. His neighbors tell their own stories: to the east was beer baron William Nolker—whose home was later purchased by railroad and streetcar magnate Julius Walsh, whose wife, Clara, is credited with inventing the “cocktail party.” That house eventually became the residence of the Archbishop of St. Louis. After Schwab’s era, the Lindell home passed through private ownership and then to St. Louis University, before finally becoming the Club’s permanent home in 1950.

The Lindell Club—originally incorporated as the “Al-Anon Club of St. Louis” (unrelated to today’s Al-Anon Family Groups)—was officially founded on February 27, 1950, thanks to the efforts of Hugo Schumaker, William J. Brown, Fred A. Johnson, and Dickson Terry. Hugo, a salesman from Webster Groves, is still remembered today by an honorary certificate displayed in the Club’s dining room. The name was soon changed to the “4522 Club” to preserve anonymity for its members.

A major turning point came in 1960 when the Charter was amended, granting the Club federal 501(c)(3) status. Around this time, the Club also hired its first salaried manager and launched a short-order kitchen to better serve its growing community. Over the decades, only seven permanent managers have guided the Club’s daily operations: Hugh Donnelly, Ed Corby, Elaine Kueker, Daron Burks, Rita Hiscocks, Patrick Brennan, and Brian Farris.

For seventy-five years, The Lindell Club has stood as a cornerstone of the St. Louis recovery community. In fact, just behind Denver’s York Street Club, it is one of the oldest recovery clubhouses of its kind in the World. Entirely independent from Alcoholics Anonymous or any outside organization, the Club is supported solely through its members, meeting rents, kitchen sales, fundraisers, and donations.

Built on a foundation of recovery, fellowship, and spiritual principles, The Lindell Club is more than just a house—it’s a legacy. And it will no doubt continue to open its doors and its heart to future generations seeking hope and healing.