The New York Athletic Club Opens Its New Travers Island Boathouse in 1888

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Yesterday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog an item about the opening of the New York Athletic Club's new summer clubhouse on Travers Island in Pelham on June 10, 1888. See:

Tuesday, February 17, 2009: The New York Athletic Club Opens its New Clubhouse on Travers Island in Pelham in 1888.

Only a few weeks later, the NYAC opened a lovely new boathouse on Travers Island. A brief article about the event appeared in the August 12, 1888 issue of the New-York Tribune. Below is the text of that article.

"IN THEIR FINE NEW BOAT-HOUSE.

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THE HANDSOME ISLAND HOME OF THE NEW-YORK ATHLETIC CLUB.

The members of the New-York Athletic Club have just taken possession of their handsome new boat-house, at Travers Island. Having sold all the buildings they formerly occupied at One-hundred-and-fiftieth-st. to the Young Men's Christian Association, they purchased thirty acres at Travers Island and during the last few months have been beautifying these new grounds. The situation is an admirable one; is easy of access, and yet sufficiently isolated to insure privacy. The island is connected with Glen Island by ferry-boats; and yesterday to a Tribune reporter approaching the boat-house from that direction a gala appearance was presented. Hundreds of the club members were bathing, boating or sitting on the broad verandas which surround the building.

The boat-house is probably the largest in the country, and is certainly one of the most complete. On the first floor are the boats, which include everything in that line from a single shell to a seven oared barge. The members expect in a short time to have a full complement of sailing vessels; and one man intends to add a small schooner to the collection. On the second floor are bath-rooms and long rows of lockers, each provided with a combination lock. On this floor also is a large veranda, from which can be obtained a splendid view of all the neighboring islands. A little to the left of the boat-house is the cafe, which was formerly a cottage, and which in its present use is only a temporary arrangement. About four hundred feet northeast of this a large club building with a frontage of seventy-five feet will be erected in a short time. The dining-room will occupy the whole of the first floor; and, in the upper floors there will be about fifty rooms for those who desire to live on the island.

The building will cost about $40,000, including the furnishing expenses. There are a number of smaller buildings, and of all them and a small stable in the rear are painted a dark red; and, surrounded by beautiful groves, and lawns on which are a number of tennis courts, they present a beautiful appearance. About ten acres of the property of the club is marsh-land, which it is their intention to fill up and raise to the level of the surrounding grounds. Between the cafe and the site of the proposed new club-building is a fifth of a mile cinder track. The governing board of the club at present consists of twenty-one directors, who have the power to appoint all sub-committees."

Source: In Their Fine New Boat-House, New-York Tribune, Aug. 12, 1888, p. 16, col. 2.

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