Officers Club, Farmhouse
& the bars at 2700 Albany

The Farmhouse 1974 to Jan 1976

The first gay club on the site was the Farmhouse...
That club was previously at 3535 Westheimer, April 1971,
moving to 2710 Albany by the end of 1974.

Gay Country, June 1980 to Oct 1980
Houston Country (name change) to March 1981

Sassee's March-May 1981

Houston Country, name change again, to June 1981

Officer's Club
June 1982 to Aug 1984
Risky Business, in same building, 1983
Albany Club, June 1984

Beaches, June to Sept 1985

Wranglers, Summer 1988

The site of at least eight gay clubs from the 1970s through 1985,
with only The Farmhouse and The Officer's Club really being successful.

The building was originally an orphanage.

The Farmhouse

The first gay club on the site was the Farmhouse...
That club was previously at 3535 Westheimer, moving
to 2710 Albany by the end of 1974. The property was so
large that for some businesses address
numbers other than 2700 were used.

But first, I'll show the first location at 3535 Westheimer...

Above, first ad

Another Fire...

Moving to Albany location

above, 1974, month unknown

Below, not sure who put together this flyer, but I have a good guess...
While I found no mention in our local press about a "Brazos Circuit,"
or for that matter, the "Montrose Circuit"....the highlighted area places
it exactly at the location of The Farmhouse, 2700 Albany, owner, Gene Howe.

I posted the above on Facebook and immediately got an explanation:

January 1976, last mention in the TWT Guide

***********************

LUEY party, 3/3/79

Below, the space for rent...

Gay Country

Next, in June 1980, starting a short run
as a country dance bar, putting itself
in competition with the Brazos River
Bottom, which was already two years old

below, last TWT bar listing of it

Houston Country
a name change in Oct 10, 1980

Sassee's

name change again, in March 1981...lasting a couple months

Houston Country
changing name back in May, closing in June,
last appearance on bar listing June 19, 1981

Officers Club

became probably the most popular gay club at the address,
opening June 1982 and lasting until August 1984

Risky Business

below, a cabaret theatre on the same property was open for a short time

Albany Club

business going down, and a quick name change
in June 1984, only to change back in August.

but by August 31, 1984, the only remaining business listing at the property was for Eagle Leathers

Beaches
another club, opening June 13, 1985, but its
last listing in the TWT guide was 9/13/85

Wranglers

quite short-lived, summer 1988...

End of the gay club era......

though, below, some organizations, like the GLPC, held
meetings at the site, at least through 1996

Club Some
circa 1994 there was a punk club at the location

Emo's Houston lasted quite a few years, from 1989 until 2001