Racquet and Tennis Club facts for kids
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Racquet and Tennis Club Building
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(2012)
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| Location | 370 Park Ave. New York, New York |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | William S. Richardson of McKim, Mead and White |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001741 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 13, 1983 |
The Racquet and Tennis Club, also known as the R&T, is a special private club in New York City. It's located at 370 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. This club is a place where people can meet, socialize, and play sports.
Contents
Club History
The club started in 1876 as the Racquet Court Club. It was located on West 26th Street. At first, it had courts for racquets, a running track, and bowling alleys. But it didn't have a tennis court.
In 1890, the club changed its name to the Racquet and Tennis Club. They planned to add a tennis court. The club moved to a bigger building on West 43rd Street in 1891. This new place had courts for racquets, fives, and court tennis.
The club moved to its current home on Park Avenue in 1918. This is the third and biggest building for the club.
The Club Building
The R&T's current building was designed by William Symmes Richardson. He was a partner at a famous architecture firm called McKim, Mead, and White. The club wanted a building with lots of space and good natural light for its sports courts.
The design for the building was approved in April 1916. It was built in an Italian Renaissance style. Construction began in December 1916 and finished in September 1918. The building cost about $500,000 to build.
The building is very large, about 200 feet long and 100 feet wide. It has five stories. The outside is made of stone and brick. Inside, it was designed with many rooms for members. These included dining rooms, a billiard room, a library, and a lounge.
It also had a gymnasium, a swimming pool, and many sports courts. Today, the club has four squash courts, one doubles squash court, one racquets court, and two court tennis courts. These courts are known as some of the best in the world.
The Racquet and Tennis Club building is an important example of the fancy private clubs built in New York in the early 1900s. It stands out on Park Avenue. In 1979, the building was named a New York City Landmark. In 1983, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical building.
Squash at the Club
The R&T club is very active in the sport of squash. It has hosted many big national and international competitions. Many club members and professionals have become U.S. Squash National Champions. Some famous names include Palmer Dixon, Stephen Vehslage, and Peter Briggs.
The club's former Head Squash Professional, Ben Gould, won the World Squash Doubles Championship three times. Several club members, like William "Treddy" Ketcham and Ralph Howe, have been put into the Squash Hall of Fame.
The first ever squash match between colleges happened at the Racquet and Tennis Club. It was on February 17, 1923. Harvard played against Yale, and Harvard won the match.
Court Tennis and Racquets
Club members and professionals have also been champions in court tennis and racquets. One of the most famous players was Pierre Etchebaster. He was the Court Tennis World Champion for many years, from 1928 to 1954.
Other R&T members who became Court Tennis World Champions include James Dear and Northrup Knox. Many members have also won the U.S. Amateur Court Tennis Championships multiple times.
In racquets, club professionals like Neil Smith and James Dear were World Racquets Champions. James Stout, who works at the club, was the World Racquets Champion from 2008 to 2019. He is now the Head Racquets and Squash Professional at the club.
Backgammon History
The Racquet and Tennis Club played a big part in the history of the game backgammon. In 1931, a club member named Wheaton Vaughan helped create the official "Laws of Backgammon." He invited people from other clubs to work on these rules.
These rules became the basis for how backgammon is played around the world today. The club still enjoys playing backgammon.
Membership
The Racquet and Tennis Club is a private club. Like some other private clubs in New York City, it has its own rules about who can join. Women are welcome at the club for social events and to play sports.
See also
In Spanish: Racquet and Tennis Club para niños
