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Our Yacht Club
The Shrewsbury River Yacht Club
is an association of members and their families. It
has two primary goals:
-
To provide boating
and social facilities for the enjoyment of members and
their families.
- To provide boating and social facilities which foster
friendships between members and their families.
Though the SRYC consists
of individuals from diverse backgrounds, occupations and
interests, the fulfillment of these goals should be the
common purpose of all officers, member and prospective members.
Our History - The Players Club
The Shrewsbury River
Yacht Club - located on the North Shrewsbury River commonly
called the Navesink - is steeped in a rich and colorful
past that is perhaps unique among yacht clubs. Not only
were its founding members boating enthusiasts but celebrated
theatrical people as well. At the turn of the century, the
village of Fair Haven was known as the place "on the beautiful
Shrewsbury where Broadway comes to rest after a hard season
of playing the boards."
Led by New York Theater
Tony E. Hunting owner Henry Clay Minor, a colony of some
seventy-five vaudevillians took summer residence in the
cottages and hotels around Doughty Lane and Kemp Avenue.
It was a large and social group that soon found itself in
need of a place to gather. So they held a meeting in a barn
behind the home of Tony Hunting on the comer of River Road
and Doughty Lane and decided to buy a houseboat that would
serve as their clubhouse. A suitable houseboat was located
in Red Bank but the club treasury was insufficient to cover
its purchase. Fortunately, there was a readily available
solution. They decided to put on a show. The troupe marched
through the streets of Red Bank in an open car motorcade
that ended at the Frick Lyceum - a stage then located where
the tennis courts are now in Marine Park. The show was a
success and raised the $250 necessary to purchase the houseboat
and tow it to the site of the current clubhouse.
True to their calling,
they picked an auspicious occasion to celebrate the opening
of their Players Club" and it was July 4,1910. Tom Morrissey
was elected its first President and his brother-in-law Tony
Hunting served as Vice-President. Membership was strictly
limited to theatrical folk, and the greats of the era were
members and frequent visitors. While Al Jolson and Eddie
Cantor were occasional guests, Annie Hart was the resident
celebrity. A famous Ziegfield star, Annie Hart was affectionately
known as the "Sheriff of Fair Haven" and the press covered
"Players Club" parties with as much dedication as they did
her Broadway career.
As social
life thrived in the tiny Players Club, it soon became apparent
that a larger clubhouse was needed. A second houseboat was
located in Coney Island Creek. It was purchased for approximately
$2,500 and towed from New York to Fair Haven where it spent
the first winter in Fourth Creek just off Battin Road.
Once wide and deep, this creek now would scarcely float
a rowboat at low water. The new clubhouse was moved to its
proper site in the spring and the original was converted
into a bungalow and moved to Elm Street. The second houseboat
was once a chain ferry and it had undergone extensive remodeling
that included the construction of two second floor bedrooms,
and a heating plant. One of the bedrooms was abandoned in
favor of a kitchen and a balcony was added.
In 1930 the current
clubhouse was erected on pilings 110 feet from the shoreline
and while substantial improvements have been made
to dockage and decoration, the basic structure remains quite
similar to the houseboat from which it was designed.
Meanwhile,
talking movies were steadily eroding the popularity that
vaudeville had enjoyed for these many years and little
by little the Players membership thinned. By 1939, the club
could no longer enforce its "Players Only" membership requirements,
and a traditional boating orientation developed. It
was then the club was reorganized and incorporated as the
Shrewsbury River Yacht Club. It had two boating members
and dues were ten dollars.
The club has changed
dramatically as how we know it present day. Prior to 1959
the bar was located on the East side of the building
in the shape of a skiff and to the North of the edifice
was a ramp and a float.
In 1952 a pier was
constructed which was extended in 1958 to its present length.
A year later the bar was moved from the Eastside of the
club close to its present location.
Eight years later,
air conditioning was installed and the picture windows which
give us the beautiful view of the river replaced the
small paned windows.
In order to extend
the main room of the clubhouse, the former porch was enclosed
with our current bar. A porch was added above the
new addition.
The Shrewsbury
River Yacht Club has enjoyed many significant events over
the course of its history. One of its finest moments
however, occurred during the celebration of the nation's
Bicentennial. The SRYC was designated by the Operational
Sail committee as the host club for two of the visiting
foreign "Tall Ships." The Nippon Maru of Japan and the Gloria
from Colombia were anchored in Sandy Hook Bay and the officers
and student crews from each ship were the honored guests
of the club. With dignitaries in attendance from Diplomatic
Missions to the UN, the glamour and pageantry of this celebration
was in keeping with the general lifestyle of the original
Players Club. Ironically, the date was July 4, 1976 the
country's 200th birthday and the 66th birthday of the "Players."
Op Sail 1986 brought
together sailing ships from all over the world to celebrate
the 100th Birthday of the Statue of Liberty. The 1992
Columbus Op Sail celebration once again brought together
the sailing ships of the world. SRYC hosted the AMERIGO
VESPUCCI with a gala for officers and crew.
In 1990 the interior
of the club was refurbished. Dark plastic paneling installed
in 1966 was removed and replaced with beautiful cherry
wood paneling. In addition, custom-made drapes completed
the decor.
In 1992 research was
commenced to locate pictures of all past commodores which
culminated in two plaques being unveiled at a clubhouse
reception in September 1993. All past commodores and their
families were invited with some guests coming from Oregon
and Florida.
The club has weathered
many storms such as Hurricane Donna on September 12, 1960
bringing 6" of water into the clubhouse. On December 11,
1992 the "Storm of the Century" hit the eastern seaboard
with major devastation to the shore area. The main dock
was completely destroyed but fortunately the interior of
the club was spared. Work parties started earlier than usual
to restore the club, which was accomplished for the May
opening. The sprinkler system was installed in 1993.
In 1994 the Commodore's
Award was established to honor a member who showed exemplary
club spirit by giving extraordinary time and effort
to the club.
In 1995, a historical
happening occurred when women were allowed to become members
for the first time of the previous all male club.
May the coming years
bring more good times.
Mary T.
Santry
Historian 1998
Our Future
Goals
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