Location | #14 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. |
---|---|
Home water | Schuylkill River |
Established | 1938 |
Navy admission | 1967 [1] |
Key people | Sophie Socha (President) |
Colors | Royal Blue and White |
Affiliations | Agnes Irwin School |
Website | philadelphiagirlsrowingclub.com |
Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club | |
Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Built | 1860 |
Part of | Boat House Row ( ID87000821 [2]) |
Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 |
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 in existence. [3] Built in 1860, the club's boathouse is the oldest structure on Boathouse Row, [1] which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. [4]
PGRC was founded in 1938 by seventeen women (mostly wives of oarsmen at other clubs) who wanted to participate in the then predominantly male sport of rowing. [1] [3]
In 1860, Philadelphia City Council authorized construction of the structure that is now #14 Boathouse Row for the purpose of housing the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. [5]
Architect, James C. Sidney, designed the building to provide for the Skating Club, but also included a basement facility to store boats for neighboring rowing clubs whose boat houses were scheduled to be removed by the city. [6] Samuel Sloan, a well-known Philadelphia architect, likely influenced the design of #14 Boathouse Row with his rendering of "Italian Villa," Plate XXIV, in his book "Model Architect." [7] The construction cost $4,900 and was completed in 1861. [8]
The Undine and University Barge Clubs housed their boats at the Philadelphia Skating Club building until the city permitted them to build their own structures in 1882 and 1871, respectively. [9] From 1884 through 1895, the second Iona Boat Club (now defunct) occupied the space in the building left vacant by Undine Barge Club. [9]
With the advent of artificially frozen indoor skating rinks at the beginning of the 20th century, skating on the Schuylkill River declined precipitously. [10] In 1965, PGRC purchased the boathouse from the Philadelphia Skating Club. [11]
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