The Sphinx Club
A Half-Century of Entertainment and Community Sponsorship

Charlie Tilghman

Established by Charlie Tilghman in 1946, the Sphinx Club was “the place” to be on the “hot” Pennsylvania Avenue, and one of the nation’s first minority-owned membership night clubs. The Afro-American Newspapers wrote in 1995 around the end of the Club’s nearly half-century of operation, “It had a certain air about it... a pronounced style that set it apart… the one spot where if you wait long enough, you are certain to meet everyone who is anyone.”

Exterior of The Sphinx Club, ca. 1950

Tilghman mastered the art of night club promotion by a “members only” policy and establishing an aura of ‘the elite.’ A gifted party planner; Tilghman’s themed events became fundamental parts of Baltimore nightlife, such as Old Timers’ Night. The club lasted longer than any other Baltimore nightclub from this era, maintaining its well-deserved high-profile identity well into the 1990s. Its offshoot organizations, such as the Young Pharaohs, associated softball and bowling clubs, and club-affiliated basketball teams added spice to the club’s broad appeal. Tilghman’s business acumen and clever wit also afforded him success as a supermarket mogul. SuperPride Markets — first founded as Jet Foods — was one of his most successful financial ventures. Approaching a half-century of business, The Sphinx closed its doors in the mid-90s, with the sons taking over after Charlie’s death in the late 1980s.

2115 Pennsylvania Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217