Crescent Boat Club is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 amateur rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 club located at #5 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row

Boathouse Row

-Early 19th century beginnings:The history of Boathouse Row begins with the construction of the Fairmount Dam and the adjacent Water Works. The Dam was built in 1810 as part of a lock at the Falls of the Schuylkill to bring coal downriver. The Dam submerged rapids and transformed the Schuylkill...

 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. It was founded in 1867 when Pickwick Barge Club and Iona Barge Club merged. Crescent Boat Club joined the Schuylkill Navy

Schuylkill Navy

The Schuylkill Navy is an association of amateur rowing clubs of Philadelphia. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States...

 in 1868. In 1871, Crescent Boat Club competed in and won the doubles event in the first ever regatta of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen, an event "which undoubtably helped the sport greatly."

The boathouse

Between 1869 and 1871, Crescent erected a boathouse with Pennsylvania Barge Club

Pennsylvania Barge Club

Pennsylvania Barge Club is an amateur rowing club, situated along the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1861 and joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1865. The Club's boathouse, at #4 Boathouse Row, is also known as the Hollenback House, named for William M...

. Today, the Club's boathouse exhibits the work of renowned Philadelphia architect, Charles Balderston. From 1890 to 1891, Crescent made alterations and additions, designed by Balderston, to the 1871 building. The boathouse was initially two stories and stone, but Balderston's design added the upper stories of half-timbered brick and stucco, which cap the building today.

Post World War II

As a result of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the club suffered a drastic reduction in membership. In 1951, Crescent turned the operation of its boat house over to LaSalle

LaSalle College

Montreal's LaSalle College is the largest private bilingual technical college in Canada. It was established in 1959 and is accredited by the Quebec government.-Programs:The college offers two types of programs: pre-university and technical...

 Rowing Association. The Club was known as LaSalle Rowing Association until 1960. By 1974, the boat house was vacant. Under the leadership of John Wilkins, the house was later reoccupied by Crescent. In addition to hosting LaSalle's team, Crescent also hosted the St. Joseph's University women's team. Crescent has the smallest membership of the clubs in the Schuylkill Navy.

External links

• Crescent Boat Club on wikimapia.org