Crescent Athletic Club collection
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Abstract
The Crescent Athletic Club was originally founded as a football club in 1884 in Brooklyn, N.Y. By 1886, the club expanded its focus to include other sports and games and was reorganized as an athletic club. Two years later, in 1888, the club was incorporated as the Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn. The purpose of the club was to provide its members the opportunity to socialize, exercise, and compete in sports and games. Though the Crescent Athletic Club was considered one of the most popular athletic clubs in New York City with over 1500 members in 1902, club membership fell greatly by the 1920s and the club declared bankruptcy in 1939. The Crescent Athletic Club collection spans the years 1891 to 1940, and measures 0.75 linear feet.
Historical note
The Crescent Athletic Club was originally founded as a football club in 1884 in Brooklyn, N.Y. By 1886, the club expanded its focus to include other sports and games and was reorganized as an athletic club. Two years later, in 1888, the club was incorporated as the Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn. The purpose of the club was to provide its members the opportunity to socialize, exercise, and compete in sports and games.
The Club offered its members two clubhouses—the City House and the Country Club House. The City House was located in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. In 1906, a new clubhouse, a twelve-story Italianate Beaux Arts building designed by Brooklyn Architect Frank Freeman, opened to members at the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton Streets. Amenities included a swimming pool, gymnasium, squash and handball courts, billiard room, card and game rooms, rifle and revolver range, chess room, dining hall, library, and a bowling alley offering both ten-pin and duckpin bowling. As of 2010, the building was owned by and home to Saint Ann's School.
The Country Club House was located in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn and included a club house, boat house, and a golf course. Other amenities included clay and grass tennis courts, lawn bowling, billiards, a library and reading rooms, sleeping rooms, dining facilities, and a barber shop. The Club also hosted clam bakes, outdoor concerts, and screened films during the summer.
Though the Crescent Athletic Club was considered one of the most popular athletic clubs in New York City with over 1500 members in 1902, club membership fell greatly by the 1920s and the club declared bankruptcy in 1939.
Sources:
- Letter from the Governing Committee to members, November, 1915; Crescent Athletic Club collection, ARC.178, Box 1 of 1; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Scope and Contents
The Crescent Athletic Club collection contains yearbooks, bulletins, one scrapbook (1933), and two pieces of correspondence (1908 and 1915).
Yearbooks and bulletins span the years 1891 to 1940. The yearbooks date from 1891 to 1904, 1906 to 1907, 1909, 1911, and 1928. The bulletins, titled The Crescent, date from 1939 to 1940, except for one early issue published in 1925.
Finally, the collection includes one letter written on club letterhead (1908) and another issued from the club's Governing Committee to the club's members, 1915. That letter describes the club's activities, events, and club house facilities.
The yearbooks are of particular interest as they contain membership lists, officer and committee lists, lists of the club's sport and game champions, photographs of the club's sporting teams, the club's constitution and bylaws, and the club's rules pertaining to the club house, boat house, and golfing.
Subjects
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Crescent Athletic Club collection, ARC.178, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Scrapbook is the gift of Charles A. Reilly, 1963. One copy of the 1928 yearbook is the gift of Royal Reynolds, 2017. Source and date of acquisition for the remainder of this collection is unknown.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Minimally processed to the collection level. Yearbooks and bulletins processed by Patricia Glowinski in January 2011. Letter (1908) and scrapbook (1933) added to the collection by John Zarrillo in December 2014. Additional copy of 1928 yearbook added to the collection by John Zarrillo in March 2017.
