»ABOUT»HISTORY

The club originally housed its boats in a wooded shack on the north side of the Schuylkill River constructed for the imposing sum of $67.85.  Today its over 150 members row out of a stately brick boathouse constructed in 1893 on the original site, now known as #6 Boathouse Row.  The boathouse is also home to four high school rowing programs and the Wharton Graduate Crew.  Bachelors Barge has hosted high school rowing on a continuous basis since 1948 when Lower Merion initiated a rowing program.  Lower Merion was subsequently followed by Harriton High School, The Baldwin School, and Conestoga High School in that order.  Wharton Graduate is the most recent tenant to join Bachelors Barge however they have historical ties to the club going back to 1864 when George W. Wharton was an active member.

In the early 1880’s it was the desire of the membership to build a second clubhouse for the expressed purpose of “having their own facility where they could eat, drink, and make merry in private”.  Up until then the club held its social functions in a number of public establishments including the Falls Hotel, the Strawberry Riverside, and Arnolds.  This all changed with the completion of their upriver facility, which was promptly named “The Button” after the bachelors button flower.  It was here on Washington’s Birthday in 1883, roughly the thirtyth anniversary of the club, that the members held their first dinner.  Club records show that a steak dinner could be purchased for 50 cents at that time.  The Button remains at its original location and serves today as headquarters for the Bachelors Barge Club and the Bachelors Barge Foundation.  Long gone are the tennis courts which once graced the property however the original spirit and camaraderie of its membership remains to this day.

The gilded age of Bachelors Barge athleticism coincided with the roaring twenties of American history.  The legendary financier E. T. Stotesbury, the overstated proprietor of Whitemarsh Hall was president of Bachelors from 1927 – 1939 during which time the club produced a plethora of national champions.  During this period Bachelors sent athletes to the Olympic games in 1924, 1928, and 1932 winning a total of 10 medals.  Most successfully Kenneth Myers and William Garrett Gilmore won gold medals in the men’s double sculls during the 1932 games.  Mr. Gilmore, more than any other individual within Bachelors, has helped to memorialize the club’s name within the history of US rowing.  Over a period of more than 10 years W. E. Garrett Gilmore, in addition to his Olympic successes, won 18 American and 7 Canadian championships.  In all he put over 70 major trophies into Bachelors Barge from various regattas held in several parts of the world.  His trophies and awards remain a proud possession of the Bachelors Foundation where they are prominently displayed in the Scull & Sweep Room at #6 Boathouse Row along with other club memorabilia. 

When discussing W. E. Garrett Gilmore it should be noted that he is recognized, at least within Bachelors, as the father of schoolboy rowing.  It was both his exuberance and commitment to the next generation that was primarily responsible for the initiation of youth rowing in Philadelphia.  To this point it was Garrett Gilmore who convinced his club mate, Edward T. Stotesbury, to donate the silver cup that spawned the Stotesbury regatta. This regatta has since grown to become the largest high school regatta in the nation with the Stotesbury Cup now emblematic of U.S. high school supremacy in the eight oared shell event. 

The U.S. economy settled into a long hard depression during the mid 1930’s and while rowing continued at #6 Boathouse Row it never again reached the elite international levels it achieved a decade earlier.  The forties brought America’s entry into World War II and the relocation of many club members overseas as part of the war effort.  Nevertheless Bachelors remained afloat during the war years launching many successful crews during the period.  Thereafter Garrett Gilmore assumed club presidency placing a firm hand on the club’s rudder from 1955 until 1970. 

The seventies were tumultuous years in the United States from many perspectives. Rowing interest at Bachelors waned and for a while in fact the sport was essentially deemphasized in favor of maintaining strictly social activities at the Button.  Membership at the boathouse declined severely dropping to a low of only 10 active rowers in the early 1980s.  Fortunately this all changed with the initiation of masters level rowing in the U.S. at which time Bachelors once again changed with the times.  J. Permar Richards Jr. assumed Bachelor’s presidency in 1983 in a position he would hold for the next 11 years.   Permar was a rower at the Pennsylvania Athletic Club in his youth and an alternate at the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin.  As club president he brought G. Tully Vaughn into Bachelors to assume control of the boathouse and once again things were up and running in proper fashion.  Repairs were made to the physical facility, a new coach was hired,  showers and lockers for women were added, and Bachelors rejoined the rowing world full force.  Since that time the club’s mission has evolved into serving both youth and master level rowers of all skill levels.  Additionally and perhaps most significantly Bachelors became the club of choice for interested individuals, both young and old, male and female, to learn the sport of rowing. 

It is not within the current mission of the Bachelors Barge Club to return to elite caliber rowing.  That being said it would not be totally surprising if a future Olympian discovered their passion for rowing after learning the sport at the Bachelors Barge Club. If alive today such a thing would undoubtedly make Israel W. Morris and W. E. Garrett Gilmore quite pleased.