The Schuylkill Navy is an association of amateur

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

clubs of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. The member clubs are all on the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It f ...

where it flows through

Fairmount Park Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, wit ...

in Philadelphia, mostly on the historic

Boathouse Row Boathouse Row is a historic site located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the east bank of the Schuylkill River just north of the Fairmount Water Works and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It consists of a row of 15 boathouses housing social and ro ...

. By charter, the Schuylkill Navy’s object is "to secure united action among the several Clubs and to promote amateurism on the Schuylkill River." Over the years, the group has had a role in certain ceremonial and state functions. The success of the Schuylkill Navy and similar organizations contributed heavily to the extinction of professional rowing and the sport's current status as an amateur sport. At its founding, it had nine clubs; today, there are 16:

Fairmount Rowing Association Fairmount Rowing Association is an amateur rowing club, founded in 1877. The facility, located at #2 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fairmount original ...

Crescent Boat Club Crescent Boat Club is an American amateur rowing club located at #5 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1867 when Pickwick Barge Club and Iona Barge Club merged. Crescent Boat Club joined t ...

Bachelors Barge Club Bachelors Barge Club is an amateur rowing club located at #6 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest continuously operating boathouse in the United States. It went through renovations as part o ...

University Barge Club University Barge Club of Philadelphia (also known as UBC) is an amateur rowing club located at #7 in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National H ...

Malta Boat Club Malta Boat Club is an amateur rowing club located at #9 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1865, the Club joined the Schuylkill Navy when it relocated to the Schuylkill River from the Delaware River and ...

Vesper Boat Club The Vesper Boat Club is an amateur rowing club located at #10 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1865 as the Washington Barge Club, the Club changed its name to Vesper Boat Club in 1870. Vesper' ...

, College Boat Club,

Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association (commonly known as Penn AC) is an amateur rowing club located at #12 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn AC was founded in 1871 as the West Philadelphia Boat Club. ...

(Penn AC), Undine Barge Club (Undine),

Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club (commonly abbreviated PGRC) is an amateur rowing club located at #14 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest all-female rowing club ...

(PGRC),

Gillin Boat Club Gillin Boat Club is the rowing program for St. Joseph's University Rowing and St. Joseph's Prep Rowing. It is situated at the 1,000-meter mark of the Schuylkill River race course in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gillin Boat Club wa ...

, Conshohocken Rowing Center, Pennsylvania Barge Club, Whitemarsh Boat Club, Sedgeldy, and Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports. At least 23 other clubs have belonged to the Navy at various times. Many of the clubs have a rich history, and have produced a large number of Olympians and world-class competitors.

Origins

The Schuylkill Navy was founded by nine Philadelphia rowing clubs seeking a governing body to prevent fixed races. Once formed, the Navy enacted a code of conduct that prohibited wagering on races. These clubs were present at the founding of the society in October 1858: America, Camilla, Chebucto, Falcon, Independent, Keystone (the 1st), Neptune (the 1st), Pennsylvania (the 1st), and

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

. Later that month, Amateurs, Nautilus, and Quaker City joined. While not at that first meeting, Undine and

Bachelors A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

joined the Navy soon after its founding.

absorbed member, Amateurs, in December 1858, and became a member in March 1859. While Undine was not initially listed as a founder, it is considered a founder of the Navy because one of Undine's members was the Secretary Treasurer of the Navy at its inception. In March 1860, Union Boat Club and Atlantic Barge Club (the 1st) joined the Schuylkill Navy. In September 1860 the founding club, Camilla Boat Club, resigned. By June 1861, Falcon, Pennsylvania, and Atlantic had dissolved. Half of the remaining Schuylkill Navy clubs lapsed during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. As of August 1865 Chebutco,

Excelsior Excelsior, a Latin comparative word often translated as "ever upward" or "even higher", may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry * "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * ''Excelsior'' (Macedo ...

, Union, Independent, and Keystone no longer existed.

After the Civil War

Rowing resumed at the end of the Civil War, but many of the fledgling post-war clubs did not last. On August 17, 1865, Pennsylvania Barge Club (the 2nd) and Philadelphia Barge Club were elected to the Navy. Five days later

and Washington Boat Club (now known as Vesper) joined. Schuylkill Navy Flags 1870 copy

In 1867 the Navy admitted Iona (the 1st), but Iona terminated its membership after it became part of

, which joined in 1868. In April 1868 rowers split from Neptune to form the second Atlantic Boat Club. Keystone (the 2nd) joined the Navy in February 1870, but resigned by the end of the year. Washington Boat Club was renamed

in 1870, then resigned in 1871, and was not a member again until 1879.

resigned in 1870 and did not rejoin until 1882. West Philadelphia Barge Club and College Boat Club joined in 1873 and 1875 respectively. International regatta Philadelphia 1876 Atalanta crew New York city club by Phillips Warren-cropped-large

International regatta Philadelphia 1876 Atalanta crew New York city club by Phillips Warren-cropped-large

On November 11, 1872, the Navy composed the funeral solemnities of General

George Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a United States Army officer and civil engineer best known for decisively defeating Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. H ...

. In 1876, it held an international regatta in connection with the

Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

, the largest of its kind to that point. On April 27, 1878, crews from various clubs of the Navy staged a demonstration to honor President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

's visit to Philadelphia. A new Iona Boat Club, chartered in 1876, joined the Navy in 1884, and lasted until 1895.

, in existence since 1877, was admitted in 1916. In 1924,

absorbed West Philadelphia Boat Club. In 1932, under the pressures of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

Quaker City Barge Club Fairmount Rowing Association is an amateur rowing club, founded in 1877. The facility, located at #2 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fairmount originally ...

and Philadelphia Barge Club closed their doors.

After World War II

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

dramatically reduced the membership rolls of the clubs of the Schuylkill Navy. As a result,

resigned and leased its boathouse to LaSalle Rowing Association from 1951 until 1960. Pennsylvania Barge Club (the 2nd) ceased rowing in 1955.

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

turned its boathouse over to the Navy until its membership was reinstated in 2009. In 1968,

, a women-only club, became a member of the Schuylkill Navy. Most recently,

was elected to the Navy by unanimous vote in 2004.

21st century

The Schuylkill Navy is the organizer of the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series. With three of the largest regattas in the mid-Atlantic region on the schedule as well as two of the nation's oldest regattas, the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series connects the rowing competitors of today to the historic home of the international rowing elite. It is built on a tradition that launched November 12, 1835, with the first organized regatta on Philadelphia's historic Schuylkill River (a full eight years before the start of the rowing program at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

). In 2010,

USRowing The United States Rowing Association, commonly known as USRowing, is the national governing body for the sport of Rowing in the United States. It serves to promote the sport on all levels of competition, including the selection and training of t ...

, the national governing body for

, announced the launch of a new Training Center Partner Program in order to create partnerships with clubs across the country interested in collaborating in the development of athletes who could potentially represent the United States in international races. The partner program places an emphasis on training athletes in small boat development and incorporating athletes in senior and under-23 camps and trials. Partners include Schuylkill Navy's Penn AC and

. Partner programs will have access to national team training programs, and have the opportunity to consult with

National Team staff and the Director of Coaching Education, Kris Korzeniowski. In 2016, the composite crew racing as Schuylkill Navy won the

Prince of Wales Challenge Cup The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's quadruple sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs and has similar qualif ...

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

Traditions

Regattas

Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta The Dad Vail Regatta is the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the United States, drawing over a hundred colleges and universities from North America. The regatta has been held annually on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, P ...

: Held annually since 1953, this is the largest intercollegiate rowing event in the United States. Named for Harry Emerson “Dad” Vail, a crew coach at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

, it was created to involve and support schools whose rowing programs were too small to compete in major races against larger institutions. *

Head of the Schuylkill The Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta (also known as the HOSR or the HOS) is a rowing race held annually during the last weekend in October on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The HOSR is the final race in the Fall ...

: Founded in 1971 by three members of the

, it was intended to open up the head-racing season to Club rowers in an era when most headraces were held for Junior, University, and Elite rowers. By 2013, more than 6,500 athletes competed over the 2.5-mile course. *Independence Day Regatta: Originally called “The People's Regatta” and first held around 1880, the Independence Day Regatta was given its current name in 1958 to recognize the Schuylkill Navy’s 100th anniversary. It is a 2000m race held on the Sunday of the week of the Fourth of July. There are races for juniors, intermediate club, senior club, and masters. *Navy Day Regatta: It was founded in 1986 by two former

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

members who wanted to sponsor a regatta to promote and support U. S. Navy and Marine Corps awareness. A 700-meter trial race was held in 1986, and in 1987 the course was moved to the 2000-meter course above the Columbia Avenue Bridge. After the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

began attending the regatta, the race was lengthened to 2.5 miles as a preparation for the

Head of the Charles Regatta The Head of the Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR, is a rowing head race held on the penultimate complete weekend of October (i.e., on the Friday that falls between the 16th and the 22nd of the month, and on the Saturday and Sunday immedi ...

and Head of the Schuylkill regattas held later in the fall season. *

Stotesbury Cup The Stotesbury Cup Regatta, sponsored by the Schuylkill Navy, is the world's oldest and one of the largest high school rowing competitions. It is held annually in mid-May over a two-day period along the Schuylkill River near Boathouse Row in Philad ...

: This regatta has been held continuously since 1927, with women's events starting in 1974. Edward T. Stotesbury fronted the cost for the regatta to make a championship race for the Boys' Senior Eight, which is held over 1500 meters. The Stotesbury is the largest high school regatta in the world with over 5000 competitors and 10,000 spectators in attendance at the Athlete Village.

Events

The Navy also sponsors other athletic endeavors including a basketball league and an annual cross country race. Schuylkill Navy Run The Schuylkill Navy Run, also known as the Turkey Trot, began in 1899. Held on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

, the race has been a tradition for rowers in the

region ever since, with the exception of two years during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and two years during World War II. It begins at

Kelly Drive A kelly drive is a type of well drilling device on an oil or gas drilling rig that employs a section of pipe with a polygonal (three-, four-, six-, or eight-sided) or splined outer surface, which passes through the matching polygonal or spline ...

, and continues over 5 5/8 miles of hilly terrain. The runners go inbound on

to the traffic light in front of Lloyd Hall, turn left and go up Lemon Hill and over the Girard Avenue Bridge, then right onto Lansdowne Avenue. Just past Sweetbriar Cutoff, the course turns right and starts the true “cross country” segment across grassy surfaces. Runners go to the General Meade Monument, then follow to the Pagoda entrance gate to Belmont Plateau, up the hill to Belmont Mansion, and return by way of Brewery Hill down Kelly Drive back to Malta Boat Club. Any and all members of The Schuylkill Navy clubs and its affiliates are eligible to compete, as well as friend and family guest runners. The classifications include the following categories: Open, Masters, Juniors, Guests, and Novices.

Member clubs

Current members

;

Established in 1877 and located at No. 2 Boathouse Row, Fairmount is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Fairmount gained admission to the Schuylkill Navy in 1916 after it had been rejected for decades. In 1945 the boathouse underwent a huge expansion in which it merged with what was No. 3 on Boathouse Row to create the current

boathouse. Fairmount has called itself the "premiere club for Masters rowing in the mid-Atlantic region". Recently the club has produced several world class rowers. The club is currently coached by Ahsan Iqbal and is affiliated with

La Salle University La Salle University () is a private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. History L ...

and

Episcopal Academy The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12 based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Prior to 2008, the main campus was located in Merion Station and the satellite campus was located in ...

; Pennsylvania Barge Club Founded in 1861 and located at No. 4 Boathouse Row, the Pennsylvania Barge Club is also known as the Hollenback House, after William M. Hollenback Jr., who from 1979 to 1985 served as the president of the governing body of rowing,

. It is alleged that painter

Thomas Eakins Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins (; July 25, 1844 – June 25, 1916) was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator. He is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important American artists. For the length ...

was a member of the Pennsylvania Barge Club as he frequently painted rowers, and one of his close friends, Max Schmitt, is known to have rowed for the club and won the single sculls national championship 6 times. Pennsylvania Barge Club represented the

at the

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...

in 1920 (coxed four), 1924 (coxed four), 1928 (coxed four and four without coxswain) and 1932 (pair with coxswain). In 1955, due to World War II the boathouse suffered a severe decrease in membership and turned its facility over to the

National Association of Amateur Oarsmen The National Association of Amateur Oarsmen, organized in 1872, was the first national governing body of the sport of rowing in the United States, and the first American sports organization to publish a definition of "amateur". Before the NAAO, re ...

, which would later become

, to serve as their headquarters. In 2009 Pennsylvania Barge Club was reinstated as a member of the Schuylkill Navy; the club's current president is Michael Ragan, and it is affiliated with

La Salle College High School , motto_translation = Character and Knowledge , location = 8605 Cheltenham Avenue , city = Wyndmoor , county = ( Montgomery County) , state = Pennsylvania , zipcode ...

;

Established in 1867 and located at No. 5 Boathouse Row,

was one of the first members of the Schuylkill Navy. The club began to be known as Crescent when Pickwick Barge Club and Iona Barge Club merged. Crescent won the double sculls in the first

regatta, currently known as the

Club National Championships. After World War II, the club, like many others on Boathouse Row, suffered a dramatic decrease in membership and turned the operation of the boathouse over to the La Salle Rowing Association, which controlled it from 1951 to 1960. By 1974 the boathouse was vacant, and was not returned to prosperity until it came under the reins of John Wilkins. The club is now affiliated with

Philadelphia University Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...

's rowing team and

Roman Catholic High School The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia was founded by Thomas E. Cahill in 1890 as the first free Diocesan Catholic high school for boys in the nation. It is also known as "Roman Catholic" or simply "Roman." The school is located at the in ...

rowing team, which supplies most of Crescent's summer rowing membership. Crescent has the smallest membership to the Schuylkill Navy on Boathouse Row. DrexelCrew

;

Located at No. 6 Boathouse Row,

was founded in 1853 and is the oldest continuously operating boathouse in the

. Founding members of Bachelors were members of a volunteer fire-fighting club called the Phoenix Engine Company. Israel Morris is credited with founding the club, and was elected as its second president. As the name of the club suggests, membership was restricted to "Bachelors"; however shortly after its founding Bachelors opened its doors to married men. Now the vast majority of the club's 150 members are women. Bachelors medaled at the

in the single sculls and the coxed four in 1924, the single sculls in 1928, and the double sculls in 1932. More recently Bachelors sent Cody Lowry to the World Rowing Championships in 2009 in the lightweight men's single sculls. Bachelors is currently affiliated with the Conestoga High School,

Lower Merion High School Lower Merion High School is a public high school in Ardmore, a community in Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs. It is one of two high schools in the Lower Merion School District; the other one is Harriton High School. Lower Merion serves both Lo ...

, and Radnor High School Men's and Women's teams, along with the

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, ...

Men's and Women's teams and a number of smaller programs and independent high school scullers. University72

;

Commonly referred to as

UBC The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top three ...

, the club is located at No. 7 Boathouse Row, and is designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

. Established in 1854 by 10 members of the University of Pennsylvania's freshman rowing class, UBC founded the Schuylkill Navy in 1858. The club's beginnings are considered to be "the dawn of organized athletics at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

" as at first membership was restricted solely to

students, later opening to alumni in 1867. UBC is known as "the upper-class rowing club", as when it opened to the public most of its members were aristocracy and upper class citizens of the city of Philadelphia. UBC is currently affiliated with the

Chestnut Hill Academy Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (also known as SCH Academy or SCH) is an independent, non-sectarian Pre-K through grade 12 school located in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, approximately 10 miles from Center City. SCH serves ove ...

high school boys' rowing team and the Springside School high school women's rowing team. Vesper-Malta2010

;

The

is located at No. 9 Boathouse Row and joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1865, after its establishment in 1860 when it relocated from the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

to the Schuylkill River, occupying what was the Excelsior Club boathouse. In 1901

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

became the tallest boathouse on Boathouse Row after George W. and William D. Hewitt designed the third story of the boathouse. Malta currently does not have any strong affiliations, although some boats from

The Shipley School , motto_translation = Courage for the deed; Grace for the doing , address = 814 Yarrow Street , location = , region = , city = Bryn Mawr , county = , st ...

are stored there. Vesper72

;

Established in 1865 and located at No. 10 Boathouse Row, Vesper joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1870. In 1873 Vesper built, in conjunction with

, a 1 1/2 story boathouse. The boathouse has since been renovated, largely based ondesigns by Howard Egar in 1898. Vesper's stated goal is "to produce Olympic champions." This was most recently accomplished by

Andrew Byrnes James Andrew Byrnes (born May 22, 1983) is a Canadian rower and Olympic gold medallist. He was born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in Ithaca, New York. Byrnes is a 2005 graduate of Bates College in Maine, where he rowed for the Bates Rowing Tea ...

, Gold for

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, and

Josh Inman Josh Inman (born March 13, 1980) is an American rower. Inman was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon, where he graduated from Hillsboro High School and became an Eagle Scout. He lettered with the Oregon State Beavers men's rowing team during ...

, Bronze for the

, both in the Men's 8+

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

. Vesper, along with its national team and Olympic aspirations, is affiliated with several high schools including Archbishop Prendergast,

Friends Select School Friends Select School (FSS) is a college-preparatory, Quaker school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade located at 1651 Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the intersection of Cherry and N. 17th Streets in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wi ...

, and

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...

; College Boat Club (

) Located at No. 11 Boathouse Row, College Boat Club houses the

rowing teams. College Boat Club houses the Men's, Women's and Lightweight squads, and its constituency is entirely made up of past rowers. The boathouse was established in 1872 after the

moved its campus from Center City to West City, and became a member of the Schuylkill Navy in 1875. College Boat Club was admitted to the Schuylkill Navy in 1875. It was initially founded to give University of Pennsylvania students an alternative to the school's original

Boathouse A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats ...

. In 1877 University of Pennsylvania rowers from the club beat the University of Pennsylvania rowers from

, making College Boat Club the official hub for most

rowers by 1879. By 1893 membership was opened to alumni and enrolled students. PennAC2010

;

Otherwise known as Penn AC, the club is located at No. 12 Boathouse Row and was founded in 1871 as the West Philadelphia Boat Club. The club became known as Penn AC in 1924, and joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1925. Penn AC has been a hub for elite and US National Team rowers since John B. Kelly Sr. joined the club after a falling out with his former club, Vesper. The club is currently affiliated with the

Shipley School , motto_translation = Courage for the deed; Grace for the doing , address = 814 Yarrow Street , location = , region = , city = Bryn Mawr , county = , st ...

boys' and girls' rowing teams and the Monsignor Bonner High School boys' team, both of which have brought

wins back to the club in recent years. Undine2010

; Undine Barge Club Established in 1856 and located at No. 13 Boathouse Row, Undine joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1858 and is considered a founding member. Both the boathouse (1882–83) and the clubhouse upstream, Castle Ringstetten (1875), were designed by architect

Frank Furness Frank Heyling Furness (November 12, 1839 - June 27, 1912) was an American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his diverse, muscular, often unordinarily scaled b ...

. The club is currently affiliated with the rowing teams from Penn Charter and the Baldwin School. The club is also known for its motto "Labor ipse voluptas" (in English: Labor itself is a pleasure). Philadelphia Girls RC 2010

;

Otherwise known as PGRC, the club is located at No. 14 Boathouse Row and is the oldest all-female rowing club in the world. Built in 1860, it is the oldest structure on Boathouse Row, and was originally constructed for the purpose of housing the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. Although not formally established until 1938, PGRC was formed by 17 women (mainly wives of rowers at other clubs who wished to partake in the activity of rowing). PGRC was formally admitted into the Schuylkill Navy in 1967, and currently hosts the girls' rowing team from the

Agnes Irwin School The Agnes Irwin School is a non-sectarian college preparatory day school for girls from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It was founded in 1869 by Agnes Irwin in Philadelphia. Irwin, a great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin, later beca ...

. ;

( St. Joseph's University and St. Joe's Prep) Although not on historic Boathouse Row,

sits on the 1,000 meter mark of the famous Schuylkill River 2,000 meter race course. Admitted into the Schuylkill Navy in 2004, Gillin hosts the St. Joseph's University and St. Joe's Prep rowing teams. The boathouse was the first built on this up-river portion of the Schuylkill River in 98 years.

Membership history timeline

DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:700 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1857 till:2020 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m bar:1 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(10) till:1859 text:American (1858-) bar:2 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(10) till:1859 text: Camilla Boat Club (1858–1858) bar:3 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(15) till:1861 text:Falcon (1858-1861) bar:4 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(15) till:1861 text:Pennsylvania (1st) (1858-1861) bar:5 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(20) till:1862 text:Chebutco (1858-1862) bar:6 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(20) till:1862 text:Independent (1858-1862) bar:7 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(20) till:1862 text:Keystone (1st) (1858-1862) bar:8 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(20) till:1862 text:Neptune (1858-1862, 1867-68) bar:8 color:POWDERBLUE from:1867 till:1868 text: bar:9 color:GREEN from:1858 till:end text:

(1858-present) bar:13 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(15) till:1859 text:Amateurs (1858-1858) bar:10 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 shift:(20) till:1862 text:Nautilus (1858-1862) bar:11 color:POWDERBLUE from:1858 till:1932 text:

(1858–1932) bar:12 color:GREEN from:1858 till:end text: Undine Barge Club (1858-present) bar:14 color:GREEN from:1859 till:1870 text:

(1859–1870, 1882-present) bar:14 color:GREEN from:1882 till:end text: bar:16 color:POWDERBLUE from:1859 till:1862 shift:(20) text: Excelsior Boat Club (1859-1862) bar:17 color:POWDERBLUE from:1860 till:1861 shift:(10) text:Atlantic (1860-1861, 1868-70) bar:17 color:POWDERBLUE from:1868 till:1870 text: bar:18 color:POWDERBLUE from:1860 till:1862 shift:(10) text:Union (1860-1862) bar:19 color:POWDERBLUE from:1862 till:1932 text: Philadelphia Barge Club (1862-1932) bar:20 color:POWDERBLUE from:1865 till:1870 text: Washington Boat Club (1865–1870) bar:21 color:GREEN from:1865 till:1955 text: Pennsylvania Barge Club (2nd) (1865–1955, 2009–present) bar:21 color:GREEN from:2009 till:end text: bar:23 color:GREEN from:1865 till:end text:

(1865-present) bar:25 color:POWDERBLUE from:1867 shift:(10) till:1868 text: Iona Boat Club (1867-1868, 1884-1895) bar:25 color:POWDERBLUE from:1884 till:1895 text: bar:27 color:GREEN from:1868 till:1951 text:

(1868–1951, 1960-present) bar:27 color:GREEN from:1960 till:end text: bar:29 color:POWDERBLUE from:1870 shift:(10) till:1871 text:Keystone (2nd) (1870-1870) bar:30 color:GREEN from:1871 till:1872 text:

(1870–1871, 1879-present) bar:30 color:GREEN from:1879 till:end text: bar:32 color:POWDERBLUE from:1873 till:1924 text: West Philadelphia Boat Club (1873-1924) bar:33 color:GREEN from:1875 till:end text: College Boat Club (1875-present) bar:35 color:GREEN from:1916 till:end text:

(1916–present) bar:36 color:GREEN from:1925 till:end text:

(1925-present) bar:37 color:POWDERBLUE from:1951 till:1960 text: LaSalle Rowing Association (1951-1960) bar:38 color:GREEN from:1967 shift:(-85) till:end text:

(1967-present) bar:39 color:GREEN from:2005 shift:(-163,-2) till:end text:

(2005–present) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:20 start:1860 TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(175,30) # tabs:(0-center) text:"Dates of Schuylkill Navy Membership"

; Notes * Quaker City formed from the remnants of Camilla (1858) *

absorbed Amateurs Barge Club (1858) *

Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

formed when Iona (1st) and Pickwick merged (1867) *

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

became Vesper (1870) * Penn AC absorbed

West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...

(1925) * University Barge absorbed Philadelphia Barge (1932) * Fairmount absorbed Quaker City (1945) *

turned over its boathouse to LaSalle (1951–1960) *

turned over its boathouse to the Navy (1955–2009)

Photo gallery

File:Schuylkill_river.jpeg, Schuylkill River Rowing Courses (1872). File:Oarsmen on the schuylkill thomas eakins.jpeg, "Oarsmen on the Schuylkill" (aka "The Pennsylvania Barge Club Four") by

(c. 1874). File:Boathouse_Row-wide.JPG, A daytime photo of

(2006). File:Schuylkill Grandstand.JPG, Schuylkill Grandstand File:JB Kelly rowing Kelly Dr 2.JPG, Sculpture of John B. Kelly, 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist and a Commodore in the Schuylkill Navy File:Boathouse Row at night.JPG, Boathouse Row lit up at night File:Boat house row.jpg, Boathouse Row and Lemon Hill File:Philadelphia skyline August 2007 retouched.jpg, Schuylkill River Running through Philadelphia skyline File:Schuylkill bridge night.jpg, Schuylkill bridge at night

References

;Bibliography * * * * * {{Schuylkill Navy History of rowing Sports in Philadelphia Rowing in the United States Schuylkill River 1858 establishments in Pennsylvania Rowing associations