In September 1777 William Brooks, a wine merchant and money lender who acted as Master, or manager, for Almack's, commissioned Henry Holland to design and construct a purpose-built clubhouse at a site on neighbouring St James's Street.

Paid for at Brooks's own expense, the building was completed in October 1778 and all existing members of Almack's were invited to join.

The new clubhouse was built of yellow brick and Portland stone in a Palladian style similar to Holland's early country houses.

The interior of the building remained fairly unchanged until 1889 when neighbouring 2 Park Place, which had been purchased a few years before, was converted and adapted as part of Brooks's.

[5] In 1978, the St James's Club amalgamated with Brooks's, adding to its membership some European royalty, members of the British diplomatic corps and writers.