Pennsylvania Barge Club

Location| #4 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Home water| Schuylkill River
Established| 1861
Navy admission| 1865 (reinstated 2009)
Former names| Atlantic Barge Club

Key people

| Michael Ragan (President)
Affiliations| LaSalle College High School

Pennsylvania Barge Club

U.S. Historic district
Contributing property

Philadelphia Register of Historic Places

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Location| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates| 39°58′10″N 75°11′14″W﻿ / ﻿39.96934°N 75.18729°W﻿ / 39.96934; -75.18729
Architect| Furness & Evans, et al.
Part of| Boathouse Row (ID87000821[1])
Added to NRHP| February 27, 1987

Pennsylvania Barge Club is an amateur rowing club, situated along the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1861 and joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1865. The club's boathouse, at #4 Boathouse Row, is also known as the Hollenback House, named for William M. Hollenback Jr., who served as President of USRowing from 1979 until 1985.[2]

Painter Thomas Eakins was most likely a longtime member of Pennsylvania Barge Club.[3] His friend, Max Schmitt, rowed for the club, and won the single sculls championship 6 times.

In Schuylkill Navy races, Pennsylvania Barge had 359 entries and 106 victories. Its teams represented the United States in the 1920 (four-with-cox), 1924 (four-with), 1928 (four-with and four-without), and 1932 (pair-with) Olympic Games.[4]

As a result of World War II, the club suffered a drastic reduction in membership.[5] In 1955, the Club turned its boathouse over to the Schuylkill Navy.[6] Thereafter, the Pennsylvania Barge Club served as an administrative center for rowing, including serving as Headquarters for the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen, which later became USRowing.[7] The building also housed the Schuylkill Navy, the United States rowing Society (formerly Schuylkill Navy Association), the Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association, the Middle States Regatta Association, and the Dad Vail Rowing Association.[8]

In 2009, the club was reactivated and reinstated as a member of the Schuylkill Navy.[9]

## History of the boathouse

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In 1868, the club received permission from the Fairmount Park Commission to build a replacement for its brick house.[8] Between 1869 and 1871, the Club erected a boathouse with Crescent Boat Club.[8] In 1892, Pennsylvania Barge Club replaced their half of the double boathouse.[8] Architect, Luis Hickman, designed Pennsylvania Barge Club's boathouse in the picturesque Victorian style.[10] Hickman was a member of the T-Square Club and known for his renovation of Merchants' Exchange Building.[10] In 1912, the Club hired C.E. Schermerhorn to add second floor of timber and stucco.[8]

## Photo gallery

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* Pennsylvania Barge Club,
#4 Boathouse Row in 1972 with a Drexel "D" painted on the dock.

* Crescent & Pennsylvania Barge Club in 2010 with an "L" painted on the dock for La Salle College Higschool

* Pennsylvania Barge Club from Kelly Drive.

* "Oarsmen on the Schuylkill" also known as "Pennsylvania Barge Club Four"[11] by Thomas Eakins (c. 1874).

* Max Schmitt, 6-time single-sculls champion. Detail of the Eakins painting Max Schmitt in a Single Scull.

## See also

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* Philadelphia portal

* Max Schmitt in a Single Scull

## References

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1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. ^ Stillner, Anna (2005). The Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club: An Incremental Historic Structure Report (Thesis). pp. 101–02. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
3. ^ Kirkpatrick, Sidney D. (2006). "Champion Oarsman". The Revenge of Thomas Eakins. Yale University Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-300-10855-2.
4. ^ Sweeney, Joe. "The History of the Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association: Part 2 - Beginning of the Clubs". Schuylkill Navy. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
5. ^ "Program Pamphlet, Pennsylvania Barge Club, Album: Rowing and Regattas, Schuylkill Navy Records". Independence Seaport Museum. 1915. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
6. ^ "Boathouse Row". Living Places. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
7. ^ "Program Pamphlet, Twenty sixth Annual Regatta of the NAAO, Album: Rowing and Regattas, Schuylkill Navy Records". Independence Seaport Museum. 1898. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
8. ^ a b c d e Moak, Jefferson (November 27, 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form". NPS Focus, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior. p. 661. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
9. ^ "Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta 2009 Program" (PDF). Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. 2009. p. 20. Retrieved April 30, 2010.[dead link‍]
10. ^ a b Moak, Jefferson (November 27, 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form". NPS Focus, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior. p. 673\. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
11. ^ Foster, Kathleen A; Mark Bockrath (1997). "The Rowing Pictures: A Passion for Perspective". Thomas Eakins Rediscovered: Charles Bregler's Thomas Eakins collection at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Yale University Press. pp. 129–30\. ISBN 978-0-300-06174-1.129-30&rft.pub=Yale+University+Press&rft.date=1997&rft.isbn=978-0-300-06174-1&rft.aulast=Foster&rft.aufirst=Kathleen+A&rft.au=Mark+Bockrath&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=mANY1s_-67EC&pg;=PA129&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Pennsylvania+Barge+Club" class="Z3988">

## Further reading

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* Heiland, Louis (1938). The Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia, 1858 - 1937. Philadelphia: The Drake Press, Inc. p. 73.
* Janssen, Frederick W. (August 15, 1888). "Pennsylvania Boat House". Outing Library of Sports: American Amateur Athletic and Aquatic History 1829-1888. New York. p. 212.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* Kelley, Robert F. (1932). American rowing; Its Background and Traditions. G. P. Putnam's sons. p. 59.
* Keyser, K. C. (1872). "The Pennsylvania Barge Club". Fairmount Park: Sketches of its Scenery, Waters, and History (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen, and Haffelfinger. p. 133.
* Peverelly, Charles A. (1866). "Pennsylvania Barge Club". The Book of American Pastimes. New York: Author. pp. 211–13.
* Scharf, John Thomas; Westcott, Thompson (1884). "Public Squares, Parks, and Monuments". History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884. Vol. 3\. L. H. Everts & Company. p. 1871.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania Barge Club.

* Pennsylvania Barge Club on wikimapia.org

* v
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Schuylkill Navy

Current
members|

* Fairmount Rowing Association
* Pennsylvania Barge Club
* Crescent Boat Club
* Bachelors Barge Club
* University Barge Club[f]
* Malta Boat Club
* Vesper Boat Club
* College Boat Club
* Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association
* Undine Barge Club[f]
* Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club
* Gillin Boat Club

Officers|

* Commodore \- John Hogan, Penn AC
* Vice Commodore \- Paul Horvat, Vesper BC
* Secretary \- Jennifer Donsky, Penn AC
* Treasurer \- Joel Sussman, Bachelors BC
* Quartermaster \- Jack Lees, Crescent BC
* Log Keeper - Joe McFadden, Undine BC

Defunct
boat
clubs|

* Amateur
* American Barge Club[f]
* Atlantic Boat Club (1st)
* Atlantic Boat Club (2nd)
* Camilla Boat Club[f]
* Chebucto Barge Club[f]
* Excelsior Boat Club
* Falcon Barge Club[f]
* Independent Barge Club[f]
* Iona Boat Club (1st)
* Iona Boat Club (2nd)
* Keystone Barge Club (1st)[f]
* Keystone Barge Club (2nd)
* LaSalle Rowing Association
* Nautilus
* Neptune Barge Club (1st)
* Neptune Barge Club (2nd)
* Pacific Barge Club
* Philadelphia Barge Club
* Pickwick Barge Club
* Quaker City Barge Club
* Sedgeley Club
* Union Barge Club
* Washington Barge Club
* West Philadelphia Boat Club

[f] Founding members. See Navy Origins
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