History of
Fairmount Rowing Association
A Very Brief History of the Fairmount Rowing Association
By Lee Silverberg,
Recording Secretary, 1/22/07
The original boathouse on the site where Fairmount Rowing
Association now sits was built by the Pacific Barge Club in the years
1858-9. The one-story rectangular stone
building with two boat bays was divided along an east/west axis. Sometime before 1869, the northern half of
the building (#3 Boathouse Row) was purchased by the Quaker City Barge Club,
founded Oct. 20, 1858. In 1875, Quaker City constructed a single bay, one story
stone addition to its half of the boathouse.
Fairmount Rowing Association was
formed on September 17, 1877 by a small group of men. Meetings initially were
held in a room at Fairmount Avenue and 25th Street. They were able to purchase a six-oar barge,
which was stored in an old building at Brown and 27th Streets. To row, the members had to carry the boat six
blocks to the river. The club was incorporated on October 23, 1880, and on July
1, 1881, the club purchased equipment and the southern half of the boathouse
(#2 Boathouse Row) from Pacific Barge Club.
In 1904, Fairmount tore down its
half of the house, and replaced it with a two and a half story Flemish bond,
brick structure in the Georgian Revival style. The architect was Walter
Smedley, a founder of the T-Square Club who was best known for residential
architecture. In 1916, the club joined
the Schuylkill Navy.
The Quaker City Barge Club raced
very successfully until the early 1880s.
After that the club declined, although there were occasional upswings in
fortune, in particular their victory in the Junior 8 at the 1925 National
Championships. However, they did not
race in the Schuylkill Navy Regatta after 1926, and at the end of 1932, the
club declared itself “inactive” in the Schuylkill Navy. At least some members of the club persisted
until the early 1940s before it became completely defunct.
In June of 1945, under the
leadership of John Carlin, Fairmount RA purchased the entirety of Quaker City
Barge Club, including their house and equipment. A second story was added above
the original 1858 structure, connecting the second floors of the 1875 and 1904
buildings, and a new primary entrance was placed in it’s present location on
the east side of the building. The new second story room became the bar room.
The Quaker City bays were also extended out.
During this work, the original east and west walls of the 1858 structure
were demolished. With the merging of the
clubs, the address “#3” disappeared. The
exterior of the house has not changed substantially since then, although some
interior renovations have been made.
Fairmount has a long and storied
history of competing on the national level, and has won many national
championships in sweeps and sculls. Here are just a few of the club’s
competitive highlights: In 1886, the club won National Championships in both
the Senior (what today we call “Elite”) 4- and the Senior 8, the first time any
Philadelphia club had won the title in either event. They won again in the Senior 8 in 1888, and
in the Senior 4- in 1891. Fairmount won
the Schuylkill Navy points trophy in 1937.
In 1941 they again won National Championships in both the Senior 4- and
the Senior 8. In each of the next two
years (1942-3), Fairmount won five National Championships and the Barnes Trophy
for overall points total. In 1949, five
men from Fairmount won four National Championships. In 1957, Tom McDonough won the Championship
Single at the Nationals, made the semifinals at Henley, and represented the
U.S. in the European Championships. From
1965-7, the club won the National Championship in the Senior Quad three
straight years. From 1975-8, Fairmount
boats represented the US at the Junior Worlds in the Double three times and in
the Quad three times. Fairmount sculler
James Castellan represented the U.S. at the 1976 Olympics. In 1987, the same FRA crew won both the Club
and the Masters Four at the Head of the Charles. At the 1996 Olympics, Teresa Z. Bell won a
Silver medal in the Lightweight Women’s Double.
And in this decade, Fairmount has won many national championships in
Masters and Junior events.
Fairmount today is a club with a
very strong Masters program, as well as a small but excellent Juniors program,
and even a few Elites. The club holds a number
of popular annual social events. It is
also filled with great people, and a pride that comes from knowing it is the
best rowing club, anywhere.
THE FAIRMOUNT LOG PAGE
The Fairmount Log was the Club's newsletter published from time to time
during the 1930s and 1940s. During World War Two, Fairmount Rowing
Association became a focal point for members and their friends since so
many members were in the armed services. Their friends and families
congregated regularly at the Boathouse to maintain morale and to share
news from overseas. The Fairmount Log from 1941 to 1945 was filled with
letters from members in service, first-hand accounts of life at both
the European and Pacific fronts, and general Club news. It was two
months before D-Day. Most of the members pictured were still in high
school, some are still active in the Club today.
Old Logs 1937-1942.
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION (1880):
The
Fairmount Rowing Association
The subscribers, all of whom are Citizens of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, being desirous to acquire and enjoy
the powers and immunities of a Corporation or Body Politic in law and
in conformity with the objects, articles, conditions, name, style, and
title hereinafter specified do hereby voluntarily associate themselves
for the purposes and in the manner hereinafter set forth to wit
Article I. The
name of the Corporation shall be The Fairmount Rowing Association.
Article II. This Corporation is formed for the purpose of providing
facilities for physical exercise and recreation for its members to be
secured by the practice of rowing.
Article III. The business of this Corporation is to be transacted in the
City of Philadelphia.
Article IV. This Corporation shall exist perpetually subject to the
powers of the General Assembly under the Constitution of this
Commonwealth.
Article V. There is no capital stock and there are no subscribers to
shares of stock in this Corporation.
Article VI. The
number of Directors of this Corporation and the names and residences of
those who are chosen Directors for the first year are:
Charles F. Hamilton, No. 817 Bambrey Street;
Isaac Moore, No. 2412 Perot Street, Jeremiah Mahoney, No. 832 West
Street, John Waters, No. 706 North Twenty-Fourth Street, and William
Francis, No. 827 Capital Street all in the City of Philadelphia. The names and residences of the other officers
of said Corporation are as follows viz. President James Farrell, No.
807 Judson Street, First Vice President Abraham Colgan, No. 807
Corinthian Avenue, Recording Secretary Charles B. Walch, No. 2225
Fairmount Avenue, Financial Secretary Lewis C. Moore, No. 2426 Perot
Street, Treasurer Joseph H. Warren, No. 3627 Sycamore Street, Captain
Charles F. Hamilton, No. 817 Bambrey Street, and Coxswain John Mars,
Jr., No. 3940 Lancaster Avenue all in the City of Philadelphia.
Article VII. This Corporation shall have perpetual succession of its
corporate name and shall have powers to maintain and defend judicial
proceedings; To make and use a common seal and alter the same at
pleasure; To hold, purchase, and transfer real and personal property as
the purposes of the Corporation require not exceeding the amount
limited by law; To make a Constitution and By-Laws not inconsistent
with law and the same to alter, add to, and amend in such manner as the
said Constitution and By-Laws may prescribe provided that such
Constitution and By-Laws shall not be repugnant nor inconsistent with
this Charter or the Constitution and or Laws of the United States or of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; To enter into any obligation
necessary to the transaction of its ordinary affairs and generally to
enjoy such powers and privileges as are incident to corporations of
this character under the laws of this Commonwealth.
Signed: Charles V. Hamilton, William H.
Francis, John A. Waters, Isaac Moore, J. J. Mahoney
In the State of Pennsylvania, City and County
of Philadelphia on the Twenty-ninth day of September, Anno Domini 1880.
Before me, the Recorder of Deeds of the said
County of Philadelphia personally came William H. Francis, J. J.
Mahoney, and J. A. Waters, three of the above-named subscribers to the
foregoing Certificate of Incorporation who in due form of law
acknowledged the same to be their act and deed and desired the same
might be recorded as such. Witness my hand
and seal of Office the day and year aforesaid.
Signed: Frank M. Highley, Deputy Recorder of
Deeds, Philadelphia County, S.S.
And now the 23rd day of October
Anno Domini 1880, the foregoing certificate of Incorporation having
been duly acknowledged before the Recorder of Deeds for the County of
Philadelphia and the same being duly certified under his hand and seal
and having been presented to me a Law Judge of the said County
accompanied with proof of publication, I certify that I have examined
the said instrument and found it in proper form and within the purposes
named in the first-class of the act of assembly of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania approved April 29th 1874 entitled an Act to
Provide for the Incorporation and Regulation of Certain Corporations
and same appears lawful and not injurious to the community, it is
therefore ordered and decreed that the said Charter be and the same is
hereby approved and that the Charter and this order be recorded in the
office for recording deeds in and for the County aforesaid and that
upon such record of the Charter and this order the subscribers thereto
and their associates and successors shall be a corporation by the name
herein given for purposes and upon the terms therein stated.
Signed: M. Russell Thayer, President Judge,
No. 234 September Term, 1880.
Court of Common Pleas No. 4.
Filed: September 29, 1880
Recorded: October 25, 1880 at 10:32.
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