Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
The Grosse Pointe Yacht Club (GPYC) is a private yacht club located on the shore of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. It was founded in 1914 through the efforts of a group of 25 sailing and ice-boating enthusiasts.[1] The club is a member of the Detroit Regional Yacht-racing Association (DRYA). The clubhouse is prominently visible and a well-known landmark along the shoreline of the lake north of Detroit.
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| Short name | GPYC |
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| Founded | 1914 |
| Location | Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, USA |
| Commodore | Ilja Vreeken |
| Website | Official website  |
History
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club | |
 Grosse Pointe Yacht Club | |
  Grosse Pointe Yacht Club  Grosse Pointe Yacht Club  Grosse Pointe Yacht Club | |
| Location | 788 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan 48236 |
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| Coordinates | 42.434882°N 82.872055°W |
| Area | 25 acres |
| Built | 1928-1929 |
| Built by | Corrick Brothers |
| Architect | Ralph Coolidge Henry and Henry P. Richmond Guy Lowell (concept) |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 14001124 |
| Added to NRHP | January 7, 2015 |
The Mediterranean Revival clubhouse was conceptualized by Boston architect Guy Lowell, who was commissioned in the 1920s to design the building. Tragically, Lowell died at sea before his plans were fully developed, but his concept of the clubhouse combining pale stucco walls and terracotta tiles, topped by a 187-foot steeple, was posthumously adopted for the club. The bell tower also serves as a navigational aid for boaters on the lake.[1]
The clubhouse officially opened on July 4, 1929, virtually on the eve of the Great Depression. The club was able to survive the depression and the Second World War, and it later saw a series of upgrades and enhancements to the premises that included an expanded kitchen, updated dining rooms, new recreational facilities, a modernized harbor, and a swimming pool.
In 1997, the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club was accorded the ultimate honor of being named the "Number One Yacht Club in America" in a national survey of professional club managers.
Clubhouse
Upon entering the club a 50-foot foyer leads to a rotunda which leads to points throughout the club. A bronze sculpture of Wheeler Williams, entitled "Rhythm of the Waves", is a prominent feature. Amenities of the club, besides the marina itself, include a bowling alley that is open from September until May, an Olympic-size pool, several clay tennis courts, two lighted paddle tennis courts and a sailing center.
The club includes 3 restaurants, a main ballroom, four bars, a pool deck and Wine Cellar. The club facilities have been updated and modernized several times. The harbor has been enlarged and improved as membership quadrupled. However, the architectural integrity of Lowell's original design and the views of Lake St. Clair have been maintained. A view of the club is shown as a background to the rolling credits at the end of the movie Gran Torino (2008) starring Clint Eastwood.
See also
Notes
References
- Socia, Madeleine; Berschback, Suzie (2001), Grosse Pointe: 1890 - 1930 (Images of America), Arcadia, ISBN 0-7385-0840-3
Further reading
- Fisher, Dale (2003), Building Michigan: A Tribute to Michigan's Construction Industry, Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing, ISBN 1-891143-24-7
External links
Media related to Grosse Pointe Yacht Club at Wikimedia Commons- Official website