Racquet and Tennis Club

Last updated

Racquet and Tennis Club Building
Racquet and Tennis Club 370 Park Avenue.jpg
The Racquet and Tennis Club in 2012
Racquet and Tennis Club
Location370 Park Ave., New York City, U.S.
Coordinates 40°45′31″N73°58′25″W / 40.75861°N 73.97361°W / 40.75861; -73.97361
Built1916
ArchitectWilliam S. Richardson of McKim, Mead and White
Architectural style Italian Renaissance
NRHP reference No. 83001741 [1]
NYSRHP No.06101.000444
NYCL No.1000
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 13, 1983
Designated NYSRHPMay 3, 1983
Designated NYCLMay 8, 1979

The Racquet and Tennis Club, familiarly known as the R&T, is a private social and athletic club at 370 Park Avenue, between East 52nd and 53rd Streets in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

Contents

History

The Racquet Court Club opened in 1876 at 55 West 26th Street. It had two racquets courts, an indoor running track and two bowling alleys, but it did not have a tennis court. In 1890, it merged into the newly incorporated Racquet and Tennis Club, which planned to build a tennis court, moving the following year to a second, larger club house at 27 West 43rd Street (1891). [2] This second club house had two racquets courts, one fives court and one court tennis court. The Club moved to its third, and current, home in 1918.

Building

The R&T's current clubhouse was designed by William Symmes Richardson, a partner at McKim, Mead, and White. The facility was built on a parcel offered for lease by a member of the club, Robert Goelet. Richardson, who had primary design responsibility for Pennsylvania Station and the Hotel Pennsylvania, proposed an integrated Italian Renaissance style and his firm's proposal was presented to the membership for approval in April 1916. [3] [4] In addition to offering its members more spacious amenities, the move to Park Avenue afforded more consistent natural light for the skylit playing courts, as well a generally more desirable location. Construction began on December 20, 1916 and was completed on September 7, 1918. The builder was Mark Edlitz, and the estimated cost was $500,000. Board of Directors at this time included financier Ogden Mills and sportsman Harry Payne Whitney.

The resulting building is about 200 feet by 100 feet (30 m x 60 m) and five stories tall. The exterior is stone and brick over a structural steel frame. According to the original plans, the interior contained three dining rooms, a billiard room, library, lounge, gymnasium, swimming pool, five squash courts, two court tennis courts, and two racquets courts. Today, there are four singles squash courts, one hardball squash doubles court, one racquets court and two court tennis courts. The club's court facilities are considered among the finest in the world.

The structure is representative of the ornate private clubs constructed in New York City during the early 20th century. McKim, Mead and White had previously designed the Harvard Club of New York City, the Century Association and the University Club of New York. It performs an important architectural role on Park Avenue as a foil to the Seagram Building, directly across the avenue, and the Lever House, across 53rd Street, and other corporate structures in the glass-clad vocabulary of International Modernism.

The building was designated a New York City Landmark in 1979 and on July 21, 1983, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. [5]

The club sold its air rights on Park Avenue to the developer of the Park Avenue Plaza skyscraper in 1978. [6] The glass-clad skyscraper rises in the middle of the block, immediately behind the club. [7]

Squash

Club members and professionals are active in squash and the R & T has hosted many national and international competitions. Members who have been U.S. Squash National Champions include Palmer Dixon, Lawrence Pool, Beekman Pool, Stephen Vehslage, Peter Briggs, Ralph Howe, John Reese, Jonathan Foster, Morris Clothier, Addison West, Whitten Morris, Michael Ferreira, Dylan Patterson, William Hartigan and Kyle Martino. Former Head Squash Professional Ben Gould was World Squash Doubles Champion in 2009 (with Paul Price), 2011 (with Damien Mudge) and 2013 (with Damien Mudge). Club members who have been elected into the Squash Hall of Fame include William "Treddy" Ketcham, Ralph Howe and Peter Briggs.

The first collegiate squash team match was played at the Racquet and Tennis Club on February 17, 1923. Harvard defeated Yale 4 matches to 1.

Court Tennis and Racquets

Club members and professionals have been national and world champions in both court tennis and racquets. The most famous was Pierre Etchebaster, who was Court Tennis World Champion from 1928 to 1954. Other R & T Court Tennis World Champions include James Dear (1955-1957), Albert "Jack" Johnson (1957-1959), Northrup Knox (1959-1969), Pete Bostwick (1969-1972), Jimmy Bostwick (1972-1976) and Wayne Davies (1987-1994). R & T members who have won multiple U.S. Amateur Court Tennis Championships include Jimmy Van Alen, Ogden Phipps, Alastair Martin, Gene Scott and Morris Clothier. Club member Willie Surtees and Club professionals Neil Smith and James Dear were World Racquets Champions. [8] Tim Chisholm, Head Professional from 1999 to 2004, was World Court Tennis Doubles Champion in 2001 (with Julian Snow). [9] James Stout, who has been a professional at the Club since 2006, was World Racquets Champion from 2008 to 2019 and is currently Head Racquets and Squash Professional.

Backgammon

The Racquet and Tennis Club played an important role in the history of backgammon: In 1931 Wheaton Vaughan, who was then chairman of the club's Card and Backgammon Committee, invited representatives of selected New York City clubs and elsewhere and led the process to formulate and produce the Laws of Backgammon. This set of rules [10] is the basis of the rules according to which backgammon is played today and was published by Charles Scribner's Sons. Backgammon remains a vibrant game in the Club.

Membership

Like other single gender Manhattan clubs including the Colony (women-only), the Cosmopolitan (women-only), and the Knickerbocker (men-only), the R & T has maintained its men-only membership policy. Women are welcome at the Club for social and athletic events. [11] In 1987, the Club did not allow an exemption for the women's court tennis championship, citing its membership rules.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real tennis</span> Racquet sport played in a walled court.

Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United States, royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France. Many French real tennis courts are at jeu de paume clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Etchebaster</span> French real tennis player

Pierre Etchebaster was a French real tennis player,, the original racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis is descended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squash tennis</span> American variant of squash

Squash tennis is an American variant of squash, one played with a ball and racquets that are more similar to the equipment used for lawn tennis, and with somewhat different rules. The game offers the complexity of squash and the speed of racquetball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rackets (sport)</span> Indoor racquet sport

Rackets or racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. It is infrequently called "hard rackets" to distinguish it from the related sport of squash.

The Tuxedo Club is a private member-owned country club located on West Lake Road in the village of Tuxedo Park, New York, in the Ramapo Mountains. Founded in 1886 by Pierre Lorillard IV, its facilities now include an 18-hole golf course, lawn tennis, court tennis, racquets, squash, platform tennis, olympic-sized pool, and boating. The tuxedo was first introduced to America by New York millionaire James Potter at the club's first Autumn ball in 1886, after a trip to England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racquet Club of Philadelphia</span>

The Racquet Club of Philadelphia (RCOP) is a private social club and athletic club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has facilities for squash, real tennis, and racquets. The club is ranked in the Top 20 Athletic Clubs on the Platinum Club of America list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennis and Racquet Club</span> Private club in Boston, Massachusetts

The Tennis and Racquet Club is a private social club and athletic club located at 939 Boylston Street, in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is a contributing structure in the National Register Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aiken Tennis Club</span> United States historic place

The Aiken Tennis Club is a private court tennis club located at 146 Newberry Street, SW in Aiken, South Carolina. It includes the Court Tennis Building. The club was incorporated in 1898 with the sponsorship of financier and founder of the prominent Whitney family, William C. Whitney. The building was constructed around 1902 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racquet Club of Chicago</span>

The Racquet Club of Chicago is a private social club and athletic club within the Gold Coast Historic District. The classical revival building was designed by architect Andrew Rebori, constructed in 1923. It is a contributing structure within the National Register Gold Coast Historic District.

Tim Chisholm is a semi-retired American real tennis player. He is Racquets Director at The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York.

George Herbert "Pete" Bostwick was an American court tennis player, a steeplechase jockey and horse trainer, and an eight-goal polo player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merion Cricket Club</span> United States historic place

Merion Cricket Club is a private club which is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camden Riviere</span> American real tennis player

Camden Riviere is an American left-handed real tennis player and current world champion. He became world champion on May 21, 2016, defeating long-time holder Robert Fahey 7 sets to 2 at Riviere's home court, the National Tennis Club, Newport, Rhode Island. Two years later, at Riviere's first defense of the title, Fahey reclaimed the title beating Riviere by 7 sets to 5 at Queen's Club, London. Riviere regained the title from Fahey at the 2022 World Championship played at Prested Hall in Feering, Essex, England, winning by 7 sets to 5. He retained the title in 2023, defeating John Lumley 7 sets to 3 at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Virginia.

Albert Carlton Bostwick Jr. was a member of the wealthy and prominent Bostwick family who became a steeplechase jockey and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner, breeder and trainer.

Paul Assaiante is currently the Men’s Squash and Tennis coach at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, Professional Speaker and Author. Two-time Olympic Coach-of-the-Year, World Championship Coach and the “winningest coach in college sports history”, Paul Assaiante has motivated top athletes from around the world. His core belief is the need to embrace our fears in order to remove the obstacles to our success. He captures this concept in his book, Run to the Roar: Coaching to Overcome Fear, a visionary reflection on leadership and mentoring from one of America’s most successful coaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Apawamis Club</span> Country club in New York state

The Apawamis Club is a private country club located in Rye, New York, Westchester County, long known for its 18-hole golf course and prominence in the sport of squash. The 1911 U.S. Amateur was contested here, resulting in a playoff between the reigning British Amateur champion, Harold Hilton, and his lesser-known American opponent, Fred Herreshoff. Apawamis is also the home base of a nationally recognized junior squash program and hosts the world renowned Briggs Cup tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manek Mathur</span> Indian squash player

Manek Mathur is a professional Indian male doubles squash player originally from Mumbai, India currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. He is the head squash professional at the Racquet and Tennis Club. Mathur and his doubles partner Damien Mudge were the number one ranked team in the world as of 2018. Mathur was ranked #1 in the world in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath & Racquets Club</span> Private members gym and squash club in Mayfair, London

The Bath & Racquets Club is a private members gym and squash club at 49 Brook's Mews in London's Mayfair district. The club has 300 members and is the most expensive private gym club in London. It was established by Mark Birley in 1989. Birley sold the club with his four other Mayfair clubs, Annabel's, Harry's Bar, Mark's Club, and George, to Richard Caring in 2007.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Lost Courts of America". US Court Tennis Association. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Racquet Club May Have New Home". The Evening Post. April 20, 1916.
  4. ↑ "Handsome New Home of the Racquet and Tennis Club". The Evening Post. July 15, 1916.
  5. ↑ Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (3/2/1934 - ) (2013–2017). New York SP Racquet and Tennis Club Building. File Unit: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: New York, 1964 - 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Realty News A Rash of New Building Projects". The New York Times. November 12, 1978. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  7. ↑ Gray, Christopher (November 23, 1997). "Streetscapes/The Racquet & Tennis Club; A Park Ave. Anomaly Dedicated to Arcane Sports". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Neil Smith". International Real Tennis Professionals Association. International Court Tennis Professionals Association. February 6, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Chase the First". United States Court Tennis Association. July 1, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  10. ↑ "1931 Rules". Backgammon Galore. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  11. ↑ "The 1918 Park Avenue Racquet and Tennis Club". The Daytonian in Manhattan. August 10, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2020.

Sources


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.