Poughkeepsie Yacht Club

Poughkeepsie Yacht Club
200px PYC Clubhouse (present location)
Formation	1892
Location	Staatsburg, New York
Coordinates	41°49′9.5″N 73°56′39.5″W
Commodore	Frank Desiano
Website	Poughkeepsie Yacht Club

The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club is a small private yacht club based in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. The club is one of the earliest yachting institutions in America and founded in 1892. The Club's members have contributed to the sport of yachting, sailing, rowing, and ice-boating. The Club is located on the Eastern shore in the heart of the scenic Hudson Valley, on a quiet and beautiful part of the Hudson River about halfway between New York City and Albany. It shares a close proximity to the Hyde Park historic sites and the town of Rhinebeck. Traditionally, membership has provided functionality for boaters and non-boaters alike. Its officers include a Commodore, Vice-Commodore, Rear-Commodore, Measurer, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Clubhouses

In 1892, the Club’s first clubhouse was established in a modest, building in Poughkeepsie, New York, on what is now the water front of lower Main Street in Poughkeepsie. Originally, the club leased a dock known as the "Sand Dock" from the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company at a rate of twenty-five dollars per year. The first clubhouse was built by May of the following year. The location was on the site of the old Revolutionary Ship Yard (or Continental Shipyard) at Ship Yard Point, now known as Fox's Point in Poughkeepsie. The first Club house was a wooden structure twenty by twenty feet, and two stories high. With money in short supply, unusual fund raising methods were employed. For example, in 1897, the veranda in front of the house was added using the proceeds of the "Autumn Carnival". The Club has always been a "working man's club" and today aims to uphold the humble tradition.

In 1905, the Club's second clubhouse was erected at a new location. The Club largely had an untroubled history until the Fall of 1904 when the club had to move due to a land deal. After a great deal of effort and negotiation, a deal was made just south of the present Mid-Hudson Bridge, at the end of Union Street.

In 1974, the Club's third clubhouse was built. Due to frustration with the Poughkeepsie Urban Renewal project, and the lack of land for winter storage and launching, the club moved location to its present location in Staatsburg, New York.

The current clubhouse is a modest two-storied building offering an unobstructed panoramic view of the Hudson River from its East shore location. Although the name (“Poughkeepsie”) comes from the Club's origins in the late 19th century (founded in 1892), it is presently located in Staatsburg New York, on historic Route U.S. 9. Nearby attractions include the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hyde Park Home, FDR Library and Museum, the Eleanor Roosevelt Home, the Vanderbilt Estate and grounds (including hiking trails), the Ogden Mills Estate, Norrie State Park, and the Culinary Institute of America.

History

File:Pyc-orig-clubhouse.jpg

Original 1892 Clubhouse

The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club was founded on 1892 by a small group of working sailors and yachtsmen. Over the years, the Club has had a varied membership expanding at times to well over one-hundred and currently has approximately one-hundred twenty "active" (boat owning) and "social" (non-boat owning) members.

During the early years of the club's history, rowing played an important role fostering interest and membership. This led to the negotiations securing the first race of the "University Eights" (Intercollegiate Regatta) in June of 1895. In addition to racing, yachting, and rowing, iceboating was popular with club members as well. The club field had as many as seven ice yachts, generally storing four in the boat house.

Traditionally the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club has been a "working club," where members take part in maintaining the club facilities and grounds. Participation hours include activities such as the "all hands on deck" docks in and docks out as well as working on the annual events hosted at the club. Members may choose the committee with which they wish to be affiliated (i.e. docks, membership, house, grounds, moorings, entertainment, etc.).

Commodores

Year(s)	Commodore	Year(s)	Commodore	Year(s)	Commodore	Year(s)	Commodore	Year(s)	Commodore	Year(s)	Commodore
1892-1894	Powell Hobert	1920-1922	Albert Traver	1946	Keene Richards	1962-1963	Frank Koff	1982-1983	Richard E. Martineau	2008-2009	William Fitchett
1895	Edward Laufersweiler	1923	Robert J. Pascoe	1947	Clifford F. Andrews	1964	William E Murphy, Jr.	1984-1985	Edward A. Feldweg	2010-	Frank Desiano
1896	James E. Birdsall	1924-1929	Alpheus Wright	1948	Duncan Jago	1965	James Creighton	1986-1987	Cornelius S. Krajewski
1897-1899	William H. Frank	1930	Alfred Heyer	1949	Carl Fritz	1966	George A. Beutel	1988-1989	Duff M. Neely
1900	Herman Von der Linden	1931-1933	Keene Richards	1950-1951	Clifford F. Andrews	1967	Dr. George T. C. Way	1990-1991	Kenneth A. Sautter
1901	William H. Frank	1934	Howard M. Sherwood	1952	Keene Richards	1968	Richard C. Smith	1992-1993	Claus Uhl
1902-1903	Frank E. Daubert	1935-1937	Philip Mylod	1953	Stanley V. Post	1969	Einar D. Reves	1994-1995	Wiliam F. Washburn
1904-1905	Javy Ackert	1938-1939	Louis J. Hall	1954-1955	Ralph B. DeLano, Jr.	1970-1971	David A. Harrand	1996-1997	Harold L. Placke
1906	George P. Bogardus	1940	Keene Richards	1956-1957	Stanley V. Post	1972-1974	Harold E. Krom	1998-1999	William J. Spencer
1907-1914	William H. Frank	1941-1942	Joseph Davis	1958	Thomas A. Moawood	1975-1976	James C. Clapp	2000-2001	Gerald Movall
1915-1916	Albert Traver	1943	Dr. Howard P. Carpenter	1959	Arthur W. Southwick	1977	Wilbur M. Rouse, Jr.	2002-2003	Clark Henderson
1917	Henry S. White	1944	Einar B. Petersen	1960	Allan C. Miller	1978-1979	Robert K. Brown, Sr.	2004-2005	Mark V. Still
1918-1919	George Saltford	1945	Louis J. Hall	1961	James E. Carroll, Jr.	1980-1981	Frank R. Vinciguerra	2006-2007	Leathem Memaffey

Gallery

• Pyc-burgee-sm.jpg

  Club Burgee

• Pyc-NorthDock.jpg

  PYC North Dock

• Pyc-sunset.jpg

  Sunset

• Esopus-lighthouse.jpg

  Esopus Lighthouse

Locations near P.Y.C.

File:Top Cottage.jpg

Top Cottage

• Culinary Institute of America --- The world's top and most respected culinary school, in the southern part of the Town, between Route 9 and the Hudson River.
• Hyde Park The hamlet of Hyde Park is on Route 9 near the Hudson River.
• Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park – A state park in the northern part of the town.
• Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills State Park – Located along the Hudson River in Staatsburg, NY. Built by Morgan Lewis and his wife, Gertrude Livingston. It is open to the public and includes house tours and hiking trails.
• Norrie Point- Hiking trails and environmental center as well as marina.
• Rhinebeck – An artist's community with well-known local restaurants and shopping areas.
• Staatsburg – A hamlet by the Hudson River in the northwest part of the town.
• West Park A village to the west of Hyde Park, across the Hudson River in Ulster County.

References

Minute Books for the years 1892 - 1975 located at the Local History Room of the Adriance Memorial Library Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY

The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club Copyright 1992, Arthur E. Scott

External links

• Official Website