old greenwich yacht club membership

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Yacht and Boat Clubs of Greenwich

By Local History Librarian March 17, 2017

Originally written by Carl White.

A friend recently asked me which was the oldest yacht and boat club in Greenwich. I said I thought it was the Indian Harbor Yacht Club on Steamboat Road. After all, this was the site where ferry boats from New York City and Long Island moored. Local agricultural products (apples, potatoes, etc) were once shipped from this location. Once people from New York City began to vacation in “the country”, they began sailing on Long Island Sound.  So this was the most logical place for a yacht and boat club to pop up. My first thought was to grab Karen Jewell’s book “ A History of the Greenwich Waterfront ” (2011). She’d used the Local History vertical files and reference collection for her research.  I then checked the history section of the websites for the individual clubs. Finally, I reviewed several Oral History Project Redbooks and transcripts for more information.

The Riverside Yacht Club

Well, I was close!  It just so happens that the Riverside Yacht Club was formed on May 25, 1888. Mr. George I Tyson, a successful businessman, and yachtsman donated an acre of land along the Riverside shoreline. He wanted to organize a unique group of his friends for the purpose of sailing. Tyson even paid to have a new clubhouse built. Karen Jewell states that this was the second club to be founded in Connecticut and the eighth on Long Island Sound, despite the rise and fall of many startups.

The Victorian-style clubhouse was built in 1889. Part of it was built on pilings near a seawall. It contained a kitchen, ballroom, reading rooms, card rooms, bedrooms, locker rooms, and an expansive wrap-around porch. There was even a news article in The New York Herald about the new clubhouse! The club became so popular that it wasn’t long before the members were clamoring for more space. A new “spar loft” was added in 1893. Commodore Tyson once again funded the new addition. It included a billiard room, shuffleboard area, bowling area, staff housing, and horse sheds. The club was able to hold Midsummer Balls and Saturday Evening Hops. The 180-member club owned 10 steam-powered yachts and 52 sailboats. Eventually, the club began participating in regattas, and a Junior Sailing Program was initiated.

The club managed to flourish, despite several setbacks. On September 21, 1938, the “Great New England Hurricane” flooded the main and junior clubhouses. Amazingly, no boats were damaged. The clubhouse was back in service the next day due to a superhuman effort by staff and club members. The War Years (World War I & II) proved financially challenging for the Riverside Yacht Club. As the nation was redirecting material and financial resources toward the war, the club faced financial hardship, which it was able to overcome. As the war was winding down, another hurricane hit Greenwich from September 14 to 15, 1944. Although the clubhouse escaped damage, this time the vessels were damaged.

Indian Harbor Yacht Club

Surprisingly, the Indian Harbor Yacht Club was founded in New York City in July 1889, and incorporated in New York State on April 11, 1892.  Elbert A. Silleck and Richard Outwater were the only Greenwich members. The first clubhouse was set up on Finch’s (Tweed’s) Island. Members would travel from New York City to Greenwich. The clubhouse stayed there from 1892 to 1895. When E.C. Benedict bought the land in  1895, the club tried to get Benedict to agree to rent Finch’s Island as a “Club Station.” When Benedict didn’t respond, IHYC started a search for a new site.

Initially, a Rocky Point Neck site was selected, but the deal fell through. After other considerations, a permanent home was built in 1897 on Steamboat Road. It was renovated in 1898 to include a new grill room with an adjoining café, formal dining room, storage rooms, additional storage rooms, a larger piazza, and a 278-foot jetty.

On October 3, 1919, the clubhouse was completely destroyed by a fire. The damage was estimated to be100-thousand dollars. The building was only insured for 30 thousand dollars. Fortunately, the Club was able to raise enough money to build a new clubhouse, which opened on Memorial Day 1921. Today, it remains a (navigational) landmark adjacent to Greenwich Harbor.

The Belle Haven Yacht Club

Around the same time as the Indian Harbor Yacht Club was established, the Belle Haven Land Company established “The Greenwich Casino Association.” It was hoped that this would help attract people to buy property on the peninsula. The term casino may be misleading since it was initially used to refer to a place for social interaction (i.e. meetings, entertainment, dancing but not gambling.) A clubhouse was opened on July 4, 1892. Activities included boating, swimming, tennis, horse shows, live music, and theater. In 1926, the name of the organization was changed to The Beach Club. It was only open for part of the year. Club boating didn’t become popular until 1953 when a member introduced a new fiberglass sloop. This seemed to pique interest, and more people joined the club. By 1961, the name was changed to The Belle Haven Yacht Club.

The Byram Shore Boat Club

The Byram Shore Boat Club was founded in 1938. It was formed for people who enjoyed yachting, sailing, fishing, and boating, as well as education in seamanship and navigation. The clubhouse was built in 1935 and 67 marina berths were added in 1970. Club events included a Seafood Bakeoff, St Patrick’s Day Party, movie nights, Rock the Docks concert, and New England Clambakes. There were approximately 270 members.

Greenwich Boat and Yacht Club

The Greenwich Boat and Yacht Club (GBYC) was established on Grass Island in 1938. Several businessmen formed it so that residents could enjoy boating. They also worked closely with the Town to enhance the harbor area. The current boathouse was built in 1955, and the docks provided 65 slips.

Old Greenwich Yacht Club

At the eastern end of Town, the Old Greenwich Yacht Club (OGYC) was formed in 1943. It was formed to provide sailing education and social interaction. Walter Pendleton served as the first Commodore. A boathouse was built as the first clubhouse, and a deep-water dock extended out toward Sand Island. The Town purchased Tod’s Point in 1945 and planned to convert a “three-car garage” building into a clubhouse. It had double doors that opened to a work pit for trucks and automobiles. A coal-fired boiler provided hot water heat. Future additions included a porch and shed. In 1938, the Great Hurricane destroyed the dock. Small boats had to be pulled up on shore and tied to stakes. Large vessels anchored offshore. Club boats were pulled into the clubhouse for maintenance.

Going Down To The Sea In Ships

So the Riverside Yacht Club beat out the Indian Harbor Yacht Club by a year. I’m happy to say that each of the boating and yachting clubs appears to be healthy and vibrant today. I love to take the ferry out to Island Beach and see all the boats on Long Island Sound on the weekend. It reminds me of the important role boating and sailing (and Long Island Sound) have played in the history of Greenwich. Although commercial boating has waned, recreational boating flourishes. There’s something about a sail filled with wind, carrying a boat quietly across the water. It’s somehow magical.

May the residents of Greenwich continue to “go down to the sea in ships,” and keep the spirit of adventure alive.

Jewell, K:  “The History of the Greenwich Waterfront”; History Press, Charleston SC, 2011.

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Old Greenwich Yacht Club

Old greenwich yacht club edit.

• Accessions 1
• 1943-2013 (Creation)
• 7.83 Linear Feet (Whole) 12 Legal Size Document Cases, 1 Letter Size Document Case, 2 Card Catalog cases, 1 Manuscript box

Boats and boating

Articles of incorporation, yacht clubs, greenwich (conn. : town), outdoor recreation, yacht racing, scope and contents.

This collection provides researchers with information about the development of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club and how it changed over time to meet community and members' needs. This collection is composed of different paper materials and includes ledgers, club records, letters, receipts, photographs, negatives, and newspaper clippings. This collection is organized into the following ten series: Administrative Records, Event Records, General Correspondence, Historical Records, Membership Records, Miscellaneous Records, Newsletters, Photographs, Press/Publications, Sailing and Racing Records.

The Administrative series includes the Articles of Association, published by-laws and roster, policies of the Yacht Club, officer and board of directors lists, meeting minutes from the board of director's meetings, annual meetings, and other specific meetings. This series also includes financial records, legal records and committee records.

The Event Records series includes club programs, notices, and calendars featuring club events that were available to club members. This series also includes programs and information about the Annual Picnic, Change of Watch Dinner Dance, and Spring Dance.

The General Correspondence series includes general correspondence sent to members and officers that does not deal with specific administrative or financial concerns. A folder labeled as “secretary” correspondence is included, as well as correspondences between the Town of Greenwich regarding club functions.

The Historical Records series includes general club history, club house history, trophy history and a general history of Lighthouses in the area.

The Membership Records series provides information about how membership and types of membership changed over time. This includes membership lists, membership directories, forms and applications for membership, correspondence regarding membership, surveys with results, and obituaries of well known members. Handbooks from 1967-2012 are included. Also included is two card catalog boxes with member information, one sorted by last name and one by boat.

Miscellaneous Records Series includes correspondences and information about a variety of subjects. This series also includes burgees and other club ephemera.

The Newsletter Series includes club newsletters and announcements from 1965-2013.

The Photograph Series includes one box of miscellaneous photographs dated 1963-1995 and a DVD of photographs from the bicentennial celebration in 1978.

Press and Publication Series include both original and copies of newspaper clippings, periodical clippings, press releases and publications, all from 1930-2009.

The Sailing and Racing Series includes information on Sailing programs as well as Racing information, such as schedules of races, correspondence regarding racing, duties of the race patrol and the scoring system, and racing courses.

Arrangement

Arranged into 10 Series: 1- Administration Records 2- Event Records 3- General Correspondences 4- Historical Records 5- Membership Records 6- Miscellaneous Records 7- Newsletters 8- Photographs 9- Press, Publications, 10- Sailing and Racing Records

Conditions Governing Access

Access to this collection is unrestricted.

Processing Information

Processed by L. Albamonte June 2021

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Old Greenwich Yacht Club Collection, Greenwich Historical Society

Related Items

The Old Greenwich Yacht Club Website, www.ogyc.org

Administrative History

Founded in 1943, the Old Greenwich Boating Association was organized to create good fellowship, to institute interest in boating, fishing, and general navigation of local waters, and to provide for its members and their families facilities through which they can find recreational pleasure in these activities.

During the summer months, the Club House on Greenwich Point is open to members as a focal point for the Association’s activities. A summer program of boat racing, picnics, cruises, etc., takes place each year usually beginning with the annual commissioning breakfast and fleet review. Throughout the year, regular business and social meetings of the Association are held on the second Wednesday of each month at St. Saviour’s Church, Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

The Association assists its members to arrange for mooring and servicing boats in Greenwich Cove through the services of the Harbor and Dock Master and the Fleet Captain. Locker facilities for equipment and gear, as well as small boat moorings, are provided at a small fee by the Town of Greenwich.

The improvement of harbor and shore facilities and other programs designed to promote greater enjoyment of the fine natural boating conditions on the Cove and its surrounding waters is the constant interest of the Association. Members also support continuing efforts of the Association to promote water safety, greater knowledge of small boat care and handling, the weather, and the practice of courtesy and rules of the road by all boatmen.

Membership in the Association is open to all who are sponsored by an active member in good standing, who are residents or taxpayers in the Town of Greenwich, who are eighteen years of age or over, who pay the required initiation fees and dues, and whose application is endorsed by the Membership Committee and voted affirmatively by the two thirds majority vote of active members present, The Association welcome into membership those who subscribe to its aims and purposes and who seek the recreational pleasures which local boating so abundantly affords.

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The historic Chimes Building at Tod’s Point in Old Greenwich has been a storied home to community sailing programs for generations of Greenwich residents. In earlier times it has operated under the stewardship of The Young Mariners, Old Greenwich Yacht Club, the Parks and Recreation Department, and today by the non-profit organization, Tod’s Point Sailing School .

TPSS is a public access program whose mission is to make Long Island Sound accessible to the public. Its priorities are: safety, fun, and learning, while offering instruction and boat rentals every day all summer long to the local community.

Tod’s Point Sailing School welcomes all town residents. There is no membership requirement and no need to own a boat. There is a variety of vessels available to the public for hourly rental. Whether you take lessons or just rent for an hour, you pay as you go, without any ongoing obligation or long-term commitment.

Contact Us 203 637-2022 [email protected]

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If You're Thinking of Living In/Old Greenwich and Riverside, Conn.; In a Wealthy Town, Less Costly Options

By Eleanor Charles

• Aug. 23, 1998

IN recent years the old image of Greenwich as a wealthy white Anglo-Saxon Protestant fortress has softened. Still one of the wealthiest communities on the Eastern Seaboard, its population is nearly 20 percent Asian, Hispanic and black and its 42 houses of worship supply spiritual guidance to Christian, Jewish, interdenominational, Evangelist and New Age congregations.

Homes in the back country and estates on Long Island Sound continue to command enormous prices. Two enclaves -- Harbor Point and Lucas Point -- have their own private beach on Long Island Sound and about 100 houses, almost all worth more than $1 million. But there are less costly mid-country homes and other options. Summer cottages and houses on small lots in the far western and eastern neighborhoods, many of them built generations ago, are being converted into stylish residences by well-to-do young families.

At the eastern end, such homes can be found in the contiguous neighborhoods of Old Greenwich and Riverside, popular for families with school-age children. Greenwich's highly rated schools and low taxes ($18 per $1,000 of assessment) make the neighborhods even more desirable.

A major asset is the 147-acre Greenwich Point in Old Greenwich, with the town's largest beach, ballfields, picnic areas, birdwatching stations and a road-cum-jogging path along the shoreline.

Sound Beach Avenue, known as ''the village,'' is the heart of Old Greenwich and Riverside. It is lined with small businesses and family restaurants ranging from Baang's Pan-Asian cuisine to Applausi's Tuscan specialties. The streets around the village are short and have sidewalks. Metro- North railroad stations in Riverside and Old Greenwich are within walking distance of many homes, and local people are as likely to ride on bicycles as in BMW's.

''For us it's very convenient,'' said Ivor Bjornstad, an executive from Oslo who commutes to his job at the Den Norske Bank in Manhattan. ''The children can walk to school, and my wife can walk to the village.'' The Bjornstads bought a 1914 Victorian four-bedroom, two-bath house on barely half an acre in Old Greenwich and proceeded to spend $170,000 enlarging it, bringing the total cost to nearly $1 million.

Unlike homes in the two- and four-acre zones, ''85 percent of houses here are on one-quarter or one-fifth of an acre,'' said Russell Pruner, head of Russell Pruner & Associates, a Riverside real estate agency. ''There is virtually no buildable land left, so people will buy a beach house, tear it down and build something new. Or they will blow the roof off and make a colonial out of a ranch or a Cape.''

The current practice of building up instead of out is the result of town zoning restrictions against building too big a house on too small a lot. A house on an acre cannot exceed 6,500 square feet, and on 12,000 square feet or less the size is governed by maximum setbacks from lot lines. Height is limited to two and a half stories or 35 feet.

''You can find a house here for $250,000 or $8 million,'' Mr. Pruner said. Of course, at $250,000 the buyer gets a world-class fixer-upper, and Wall Streeters are the primary purchasers of $8 million waterfront mansions.

''Most of the houses were built between 1910 and 1960,'' said Joan Epand, a broker at the Old Greenwich office of William Pitt Real Estate. ''Many of them in the lower lying areas were raised by two or three feet after being flooded in 1992.'' Throughout the area there are about 80 houses for sale under $1 million, she said, 35 of those under $500,000, and 19 homes over $1 million.

Not far north of Interstate 95 and close to the Stamford border, small homes built for World War II veterans by the Stamford-born boxer Gene Tunney cost around $350,000. The streets are named Nimitz Place, Halsey Drive, MacArthur Avenue, and so on.

But at the northernmost tip in Hillcrest Park, large turn-of-the-century stone homes on rare one-acre lots are priced up to $600,000. The town landmarked one house where the band leader Guy Lombardo lived.

Ms. Epand cautioned that ''there is some concern that Stamford is planning to develop a commercial area of discount stores bordering homes north of I-95.''

OLD GREENWICH is the oldest neighborhood in the Town of Greenwich, established in 1640 when settlers from the New Haven Colony bought land from the Siwanoy Indians. Riverside is totally residential, except for businesses along Route 1. It sits higher topographically than Old Greenwich, and when it was developed with larger homes on wooded lots in the 30's and 40's ''it was higher in real estates values, too,'' said Jean Shaffer, a longtime resident.

''A lot of writers and publishers set the tone in Riverside,'' said Pyke Johnson, a 44-year resident and former managing editor at Doubleday. ''From Lincoln Steffens to Walter Lippmann, Anya Seton and Munro Leaf.'' Unable to bear leaving the area after their sons were grown, Mr. Johnson and his wife, Lucy, sold their home and moved into a condominium at Old Greenwich Gables, where units surrounding a landscaped courtyard sell for $350,000 to $500,000.

A total of 32 condominium units are on the market there and in two more complexes: The Common and Greenwich Green, where prices start at $92,000.

Attendance growth has led to several expansions of the Greenwich public school system over the years. ''Today our growth seems to be greatest in the eastern part of town,'' said Frederick Baker, director of operations for the schools.

Work is under way at Eastern Middle School on an 11-classroom, $5 million addition, and two classrooms are being added internally at Greenwich Elementary School. ''But,'' Mr. Baker said, ''by 2002 we anticipate a need for four to six more classrooms at Riverside Elementary School, where four classrooms were added in 1996, and an additional 6 to 8 classrooms at Old Greenwich.'' A $42 million addition and renovation under construction at Greenwich High School is expected to be completed by 2000.

All of Greenwich's 10 elementary schools offer full-day kindergarten, foreign languages, science programs and intramural sports. All three middle schools have accelerated programs for talented and gifted students, seminars on classical texts, research and community service projects, stagecraft, photography, robotics, music ensembles and sports.

Greenwich High School, which is divided into four houses to which students are randomly assigned, has 280 different courses and 32 varsity teams, including water polo, fencing and rugby. It offers independent study, small group tutorials, and advanced placement for which more than half of its seniors qualify.

S.A.T. results for 1997 averaged 532 in verbal and 546 in math, exceeding state and national levels by a range of 21 to 40 points. Of the June 1997 graduating class of 511, 89 percent went on to higher education.

While there are no private schools in Eastern Greenwich there are nine in the town. Among them are Greenwich Country Day, co-ed from pre-K through ninth grade; Brunswick School for boys, Greenwich Academy for girls and the Convent of the Sacred Heart for girls, all pre-K through 12th grade. Sacred Heart is building a 30,000-square-foot science center and observatory to open this fall. Generally, tuitions range from $7,600 to $16,200 for half-day pre-K through grade 12.

For recreation, town residents and their guests have the use of four beaches at the cost of a $15 seasonal pass; the Dorothy Hamill ice-skating rink; 1,400 acres of parks and wilderness preserves; the municipal Bruce Golf Course, which charges $75 a season; moorings at Greenwich Point for $40 a season; a slip at Byram Marina for $125 to $200 a season; 200 miles of bridle paths; a seven-and-a-half mile bike route; 38 tennis courts, soccer, baseball and basketball leagues and music and art programs.

Private clubs in eastern Greenwich include the century-old Riverside Yacht Club, where a $2 million docking system was recently completed to accommodate up to 50-foot yachts. While membership fees are not made public, Robert A. Wilson, the club's publicity chairman, said ''it's less expensive than golf,'' adding that ''we don't have to pay taxes on all that land.''

Innis Arden Golf Club in Old Greenwich has an 18-hole golf course, pool, restaurant, 650 members and a two-year minimum waiting list.

THE Old Greenwich Yacht Club is quasi-public, said its vice commodore, John Ehlers. ''It's open to all residents for a $200 initiation fee and $220 a year dues,'' he said. ''We have a lot of parties, a launch service and sailing school.'' There is a small clubhouse, but no restaurant.

Among the townwide amenities are the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra; Greenwich Chorale; the Greenwich Historical Society, Art Society and Antiques Society; Bruce Arts and Science Museum; Garden Education Center; Archeological Associates; Nathaniel Witherell home for the aged (for Greenwich residents only); the Y.M.- and Y.W.C.A; Boys and Girls Clubs, two Civic Centers, three theater groups and numerous civic, youth, senior and social service organizations.

The main downtown library is getting a $25 million addition designed by Cesar Pelli, while the Byram branch is being renovated, and Cos Cob, the neighborhood west of Riverside, is getting a brand new branch. Opposite Binney Park in Old Greenwich is the Perrot library, which just added a children's wing.

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