Washington Canoe Club

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The Washington Canoe Club was founded and constructed in 1904 and is an excellent example of Shingle style architecture, which was popular during the early 20th century. The club is one of two extant boat clubs on the Potomac River, and the building is constructed so that its main facade can be seen from the river. The club building, clad in green shingles, consists of five bays, with octagonal towers framing the main block and a louvered cupola at the roof’s ridge. There is a balcony with a closed, shingled balustrade that extends across the whole building and a small tower that projects from the northeast corner of the building. Much of the interior is relatively unchanged, including the grill room, ballroom, and boardroom. There is a cartoon frieze in the grill room that was painted in the club's early days. It depicts the original members of the Washington Canoe Club.

The building has served as the home of the Washington Canoe Club for 120 years and has played an important role in DC’s social and recreational life. During the late 19th century, industrialization caused an increase in free time that allowed for the development of sports and recreation. This led to the formation of sporting clubs like the Washington Canoe Club. Canoeing grew popular in DC due to its hot summers and easy access to the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. The club put on many events, including regattas, parades, swimming matches, dances, theater parties, and even water baseball. They sponsored many different athletic events like boxing, wrestling, bowling, swimming, track, and water polo. The Washington Canoe Club is also famously known for pioneering the development of flatwater racing as an Olympic sport.

Due to storms and flooding from the river, the club building has been damaged over the decades, including a significant storm in the 1950s that pushed the building downstream. Despite this, the Washington Canoe Club has been able to retain many of its original architectural elements and continues to play an important role in recreational activities on the Potomac River. 

DC Inventory: January 23, 1973 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: March 19, 1991
Within Georgetown Historic District