History.

History of University Barge Club

Located on historic Boathouse Row, University Barge Club is the second oldest of the rowing clubs in Philadelphia. From its modest beginnings – founded by University of Pennsylvania students who paid $100 for a boat they named the “Hesperus” – to today’s club with 150 active members – male and female – and sponsorship of the Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, one of the world’s largest fall rowing regattas, University Barge Club has been a part of Philadelphia rowing and Philadelphia history for over 150 years.

Key dates in University Barge Club’s story:

1854 – The Club was founded by ten members of the University of Pennsylvania’s freshman class. Their pursuit of rowing as a club was Penn’s first official organized athletic activity. Membership in the Club was initially restricted to Penn students. As time passed, Penn alumni and then others not affiliated with the University also joined, an indicator of the spirit of camaraderie at the heart of UBC. Student membership in University Barge Club declined and eventually moved to College Boat Club, founded in 1872.

In the early years, the Club rented part of the Philadelphia Skating Club (now the site of Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club) where the two UBC boats – the four-oared Hesperus and six-oared Lucifer – were stored. Races and barge outings along the Schuylkill and Delaware were primary activities.

1858 – University Barge and several other clubs founded the Schuylkill Navy on October 5th. The oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States, the Schuylkill Navy today oversees several regattas and governs the conduct of rowing on the Schuylkill. Its first regatta was held in June 1859.

Civil War and after – Rowing by the Club essentially ceased during the War. Half of the clubs that had founded the Schuylkill Navy did not survive the period, but after the Civil War, rowing returned as a tremendously popular sport – for both participants and spectators. When Harvard raced Oxford on the Thames in 1869, more than half a million people lined the banks to watch the 4 _ mile race. In Philadelphia – the epicenter of American rowing – regattas were well-attended, attracting thousands of people to the river for a day of cheering their favorites as well as betting on the races.

1871 – Together with the Philadelphia Barge Club, University Barge built its own boathouse at No. 7 Boathouse Row, where it stands today. The two clubs shared the space, each occupying half of the building, and enjoyed a healthy rivalry with many races against each other followed by celebratory dinners at their upriver social clubs – UBC’s The Lilacs and Philadelphia’s The Anchorage.

UBC used the boathouse for stowing the boats and equipment, while almost all social activities took place at the Lilacs. The Club owned several “lady boats” of varying sizes which were used to ferry passengers up the river. The Marguerite and the Cyrene are still owned and rowed by UBC today.

1891 – Team rowing was at first conducted primarily in four- and six-oared boats. In the 1870s, Ivy League colleges adopted the eight-oared shell. As the use of “eights” became common, University Barge and Philadelphia Barge decided to add matching bays to accommodate the larger boats. UBC has maintained this building footprint to today.

The War Years and Between the Wars – The demands of two World Wars and the Depression took a toll on active rowing. In 1932, the Philadelphia Barge Club ceased operation and merged with UBC.

1954 – The Schuylkill Navy recognized the centennial of University Barge Club with a commemorative resolution that remains on display in the Club.

1968 – Chestnut Hill Academy, a boys’ independent school, began its crew and sculling program at UBC. CHA has rowed continuously from the club since then.

1968 – The Club organized and sponsored the Graduate Sculls Regatta, a masters-only event that developed into the inclusive Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. Open to scholastic, college, club and masters rowers, the Regatta has grown from entries of a few dozen boats to over 1,200 today.

1987 – The National Park Service named Boathouse Row a National Historic Landmark .

1990 – A men’s club from the time of its founding, UBC voted to admit women as full members, and reconfigured its floor plan to accommodate a locker and shower room in 1997.

1996 – Springside Academy, a girls’ independent school, joined CHA in rowing from the Club.

1999 – The Lea Balcony was added to the riverside portion of the boathouse, returning the façade to its historic design.

2004 – University Barge Club celebrated its 150th anniversary.

2004 – To recognize and preserve the historic nature of the building that houses University Barge, the Club organized the UBC 1871 Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization which raises funds for preservation of the boathouse and oversees all maintenance, repair and improvement of the house itself.

2009 – The Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta becomes an independent entity, separate from the Barge Club, and is granted 501(c)3 status.



Thank you for your interest in the history of University Barge Club. If you have any questions about the information presented here, please contact us at info@universitybargeclub.org.