The Old Colony Club is one of the oldest Gentlemen's Clubs in the United States, founded in 1769 in

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...

History

The club was founded in January, 1769, by Isaac Lothrop,

Pelham Winslow Pelham may refer to: People * Pelham (name), including a list of people with the name Places In Australia * Pelham, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region In Canada * Pelham, Ontario * Pelham Range, on Vancouver Island, British ...

, Thomas Lothrop, Thomas Mayhew, Elkanah Cushman, John Thomas, Edward Winslow, Jr. and John Watson. Their intent in creating a private club was to avoid "the many disadvantages and inconveniences that arise from intermixing with the company at the taverns in ... Plymouth." It went moribund during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

due to a split between

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

and

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

members, but was revived in 1875. Its clubhouse on Court Street was purchased in 1893.

Traditions

The club meets on Fridays at a much-renovated old colonial house on Court Street in downtown Plymouth. The club is best known for its annual celebration of

Forefathers' Day Forefathers' Day is a holiday celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22. It is a commemoration of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1620. It was introduced in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769. ...

, one of the oldest holidays in America, dating from colonial times.

Hoyle's Official Book of Games ''Hoyle's Official Book of Games'' (or Hoyle Series or Hoyle Games) is a series of games developed and published by Sierra On-Line. Volume 1, released in 1989, featured multi-player card games. Volume 2, released in 1990, featured 28 varieties o ...

notwithstanding, the "extinct" game of Bestia is still played every Friday night at this institution. The Old Colony Club boasts among its early members Revolutionary War hero General

Alexander Scammell Alexander Scammell (March 22, 1747 – October 6, 1781) was a Harvard educated attorney and an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was wounded on September 30, 1781, near Yorktown and subsequently died on Octo ...

References

External links

Old Colony Club website
{{Coord, 41, 57, 27.7, N, 70, 39, 57.2, W, display=title Plymouth, Massachusetts 1769 establishments in Massachusetts