Racquet Club of Philadelphia

History

Established in 1889, the Club started its life in a modest facility at 923 Walnut Street. Under the leadership of George D. Widener, the current 16th Street Clubhouse was built by architect Horace Trumbauer. Historian Nathaniel Burt described the new 1907 Clubhouse as "by far the best appointed...of all Philadelphia clubs." The clubhouse is one of the first reinforced concrete structures designed in Philadelphia, and also includes the world's first above grade swimming pool, designed by the noted bridge builders Roebling Construction Company. The building's red-brick, Georgian design, is evocative of historic Philadelphia, and the Clubhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

The Club was the site of the invention of squash doubles by Frederick C. Tompkins. The new building had a space that was too large for a standard squash court but too small for further locker facilities and Tomkins recommended that it be used for squash doubles.

The RCOP's racquet sport facilities include 6 international squash singles courts, 1 squash doubles court, 1 court tennis court, and 1 racquets court. The Club also has overnight rooms along with a fitness center for the use of members and sponsored guests, as well as a bar and serves lunch daily. It is open to members 365 days a year and is located on 16th Street between Walnut and Locust in the heart of Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square area.

The Club has hosted many international court tennis, racquets, and squash doubles tournaments and has produced notable U.S. national champions including Jay Gould, Jock Soutar, Stanley Pearson and Morris Clothier.

The U.S. Squash Hall of Fame was briefly at the Club until moving to Yale University.

Champion Members

• Jock Soutar
• Jay Gould II
• Morris Clothier

References

References

1. Richard J. Webster. (January 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Philadelphia Racquet Club". National Archives and Records Administration.
2. {{NRISref. 2007a
3. "Platinum Clubs of America® 2016". [[Platinum Clubs of America®]].
4. [https://books.google.com/books?id=L9ueb6r1uXgC&pg=PA268 Nathaniel Burt, Perennial Philadelphians: The Anatomy of an American Aristocracy, Little, Brown and Company, 1963 (reprinted 1999), p. 268]
5. [http://www.squash.ca/e/doubles/history_sport/index.htm History of the Sport of Doubles] {{webarchive. link. (2010-12-18 Squash Canada)
6. {{usurped
7. "Hall of Fame & Museum". [[U.S. Squash]].
8. (April 5, 1913). "Williams and Soutar Ready for First Game of Series for Title". [[New York Times]].