Potomac Boat Club
National Register of Historic Places

Potomac Boat Club

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
June 26, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
91000786

About this property

The Potomac Boat Club is a rowing club on the Potomac River in Washington, DC. It was established in 1869 (1869), originally as the Potomac Barge Club. The club provides a rowing hub for around 300 senior members, ranging in ability from recreational rowers to professional athletes. The boat club hosts both private members, as well serving as a base for the Washington-Liberty High School crew team. The club’s current building, a two-story, wooden, craftsman style structure completed in 1908, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 The facade of the club faces the Potomac River. The rear elevation faces K Street, which terminates at the Club. The first floor of the building is used for boat and oar storage. The second floor of the original building is broken into a ballroom, board room, and locker rooms. The second floor of the addition is used for additional locker rooms and a shop. The building was rehabilitated by Williams & Dynerman in 1989. Adjacent to the boathouse, the remaining abutment of the demolished Aqueduct Bridge provides shelter for rowing shells belonging to members of the club. The history of the club is linked with a number of high profile coaches and athletes who have made significant contributions to the sport of competitive rowing. Charles E. Courtney served as club coach between 1881 and 1885, a controversial professional athlete, but later coach of the Cornell University’s men’s crew team that dominated the early years of competitive rowing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. Many decades later, Charlie Butt, head coach of the storied Washington-Liberty High School crew team was instrumental in promoting rowing as a school sport. The Charlie Butt Scullers’ Head of the Potomac Regatta continues to be held annually on the Potomac River for scholastic crews. Potomac Boat Club members Larry Hough and Tony Johnson, won the silver medal in coxless pairs at the 1968 Olympics. National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C. "Potomac Boat Club - The Potomac Boat Club, constructed in 1908, is one of two remaining early 20th century boat clubs along the Potomac River in the District of Columbia". DC Historic Sites. May 3, 1936. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

Location

3530 Water St., NW.
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.90417, -77.07016

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Questions about this property

When was Potomac Boat Club listed on the National Register?

Potomac Boat Club was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Potomac Boat Club?

Potomac Boat Club is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Potomac Boat Club?

The period of significance for Potomac Boat Club is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1869.

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