Grosse Pointe Yacht Club: 100 Years
Dr. Larry Stephenson, left, Chair of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Centennial Project, was the guest speaker at Rotary of Grosse Pointe's luncheon meeting Oct. 27. He was introduced by Rotary and past Commodore Mark Weber, right.
Dr. Stephenson's committee's job is to research the Club’s history and write and publish a book about it. The club began when 25 boaters met in December, 1913 at the home of R. George Marsh (its first Commodore). Contrary to popular belief, the club was not soley dedicated to ice boating, but was a dual ice boating and yachting club, as its original burgee indicates. The founding list of members reads like a “Who’s Who” in the early years of the automotive industry. At first, there was just a harbor at the foot of Vernier Rd. that was constructed by Grosse Pointe Shores along with its municipal building in 1915. Construction of the current Yacht Club building didn’t take place until 1927 and was completed in 1929, just months before the start of the Great Depression. During the 1930s, the Club had to borrow from its membership to remain open before eventually closing and being turned over to a bank in 1935. The bank continued to operate the harbor before an appeal was made to a few members to buy it back. The Club re-opened in 1938 with a new outdoor pool and the bowling alley was added in 1940. Due to time constraints, the Rotarians will have to learn about the GPYC's post World War II history at its Dec. 15 luncheon meeting. Photo by John Minnis