History
Since its founding in 1904, the Washington Canoe Club (WCC) has played an important role in promoting the sport of Olympic Canoe and Kayak. Friends of WCC was created to support the sprint program and ensure the longevity of the historic clubhouse on the Potomac River.
The Olympic Canoe/Kayak Program Begins at WCC
While boats similar to canoes and kayaks have been used since very early times, their recreational use in Europe and America expanded in the late nineteenth century. In 1867, the Royal Canoe Club, founded in England in 1866, held its first flatwater race. The New York Canoe Club was founded in 1871. Canoeing became a craze. The location of Washington D.C. beside the Potomac made canoeing an appealing activity. As the southernmost of the east coast canoe clubs of the early twentieth century, WCC enjoyed a longer season than its northerly counterparts.
From its roots in recreational paddling, the WCC came to be recongized for its role in the development of flatwater canoe racing in Olympic competition. The club, competing for the United States, and introducing the sport as a demonstration event at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, won three of the six events raced. The team was made up of Charles Havens, Karl Knight, Harry Knight, and Hank Larcombe.
The club has since produced numerous national champions and Olympic medal winners. Frank Havens' 1948 Silver and 1952 Gold medals, the Silver medal won by Francine Fox and Gloriane Perrier in 1964, and Norman Bellingham's gold medal in the 1988 Olympic Games were highlights for the club.
The WCC Clubhouse
This interest in paddling was centered around the historic clubhouse built by a group of canoe enthusiasts at the edge of the Potomac in 1904. Designed by architect Georges P. Hales, the Washington Canoe Club was clearly conceived by people who knew not only how it would look from the Potomac - striking- but knew how the building needed to work for its purpose-which it does, superbly.
Tradition holds that the clubhouse was built by the members, using salvaged timbers and lumber from burned barns. It is an excellent example of shingle-style architecture incorporating the complex massing and continuity of surface that characterize the style. The river facade displays a handsome five-part building anchored at either end by octagonal towers and surmounted by a hipped roof. The diamond composition of the central projecting pavilion is particularly sophisticated. The sweeping horizontality of the building is enhanced by the contrast between the white framing of the doors and windows and the dark green of the building.
WCC Today
The Clubhouse continues to serve WCC and its strong traditions of excellence in canoe and kayak. Young athletes are introduced to flatwater canoe racing, and are provided instruction and coaching to help them develop their potential in the sport. Club members continue to be involved in administration and organization of canoeing at the national level. Elite athletes keep Olympic aspirations alive. The club continues to provide the support and encouragement that have been the trademark of the most prominent club in the history of U.S. canoeing to all its athletes - whether Olympic Gold medalist or weekend recreational paddler.
The club is presently designated a "Center of Excellence" by the United States Canoe and Kayak Team (US CKT), the national governing body for the sport of Olympic flatwater racing, and Olympians and Olympic hopefuls train at the club.
WCC's building was designated a District of Columbia landmark in January 1973. In March 1991, it was designated an historic building with the National Register of Historic Places, and placed on the D.C. inventory of historic sites in the United States.
