Fairmount Rowing Association

A Very Brief History of the Fairmount Rowing Association

By Lee Silverberg, Recording Secretary, 5/19/2008

The original boathouse on the site where Fairmount Rowing Association now sits was built by the Pacific Barge Club, founded June 15, 1859, in the year 1860. The one-story rectangular stone building with two boat bays was divided along an east/west axis. In 1865 or 1866, 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 either 25^th Street or 23^rd Street. They were able to purchase a six-oar barge, which was stored in an old building at Brown and 27^th 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 was finally allowed to join the Schuylkill Navy, after decades of being rejected.

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. They won the Intermediate Double in 1897 and the Intermediate 8 in 1898. 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. Under coach Sean Drea, John Riley rowed the single for Fairmount at the World Championships in 1989 and 1991. 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 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.

And now the 23^rd 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 29^th 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.