by Shannon Butler
The weather is steadily improving, making the river look more and more appealing. If you have even been sailing, you know how lovely it can be and how it almost transports you back in time. If we go back to the early days of New York, sailing was the fastest way to get from one place to another along the Hudson River and it was the main source of transportation of just about all materials. Today, we certainly have faster ways of getting goods and people around, so for the most part, sailing is a hobby for most and a passion for a few. In 1892, a few workers from Poughkeepsie were sailing a sloop named Beatrice when they decided to create a club that focused solely on the sailing of yachts. During this particular river outing, the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club was born.
Within months of creating their club, the men established themselves on a dock that was owned by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, which they leased for $25 a year. They built the first clubhouse near the site of what was once a shipyard during the American Revolution. Races and regattas were becoming very popular by the late 19th century and the straight stretch along the river from Poughkeepsie to Hyde Park was said to be the best place for racing in the country. The club helped to establish many races and encouraged the growth of the waterfront as a recreational spot, not just a place for commerce. By 1900, motors were being added to yachts which added to the variety of crafts on the Hudson.
In 1905, the club had to move from their original dock (which they never go around to purchasing) and decided to buy land just south of what is now the Mid-Hudson Bridge (it wasn’t there at the time). They constructed a new clubhouse (seen in the photos to the right) at a cost of about $5,000. At the time, they had 125 members with a fleet of just under 60 vessels which included row boats, sailing yachts, and naphtha launches (boats with motors). The club created rules for their races which were laid out in its constitution by-laws of 1897. One rule dictated the club members must fly the club pendant while racing. Another interesting rule was that, “each yacht must bring back the same persons with which it started” (in other words, no tossing somebody overboard for being a backseat captain).
For 76 years, the club hosted all sorts of events and races from their club house on the waterfront in Poughkeepsie, until the 1960s, when Urban Renewal came into the city and changed the landscape forever. The club was offered $61,000 for their property, but the Commodore in charge at the time proclaimed, “the yacht club has fostered activities on the river since it was organized in 1892, instead of driving us out they should be trying to encourage us to stay in Poughkeepsie.” Frustrated by the city’s lack of interest in preserving the historic clubhouse, the club was forced to find a new place to call home. All of their old buildings were demolished on the Poughkeepsie waterfront. The club purchased land in Hyde Park from Mr. Robert Monroe in 1969. It took several years of filling in swampland near the river to build a new clubhouse, but the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club formed a new normal. The club still exists today with members young and old.
Resources:
Poughkeepsie Yacht Club Centennial Book – By Arthur E. Scott 1992 – LH 797.1 P
Poughkeepsie Yacht Club Records – 796.97 M LH Collections
The Courier 8 Oct. 1905
Poughkeepsie Journal 19 Jun. 1966, 9 Feb. 1969
Images:
01 – Image of the first clubhouse, from The Courier, Oct 8 1905 – LH Collections
02 – Postcard of the second clubhouse – LH Collections
03 – Postcard of the second clubhouse – LH Collections
04 – Membership card from 1948 – LH Collections
05 – Article from the Poughkeepsie Journal, Jun 19 1966
