South River Club
Encyclopedia
South River Club refers to both a social club and more recently, the historic building at South River
, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
where the club met.
The early members included prominent landowners, merchants, and the local doctor and clergyman, all of whom lived within a 10-mile radius of the clubhouse.
The members of the club meet at the clubhouse four times per year for feasts prepared in the detached kitchen. Women are only allowed in the clubhouse on "Pilgrimage Days."
, but sufficient doubt remains.
Built in 1742, on land purchased from Captain Thomas Gassaway, son of Colonel Nicholas Gassaway
, the present structure is a small frame, -story one-room clubhouse with a gable roof and a narrow exterior chimney on the east gable end. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1969.
South River, Maryland
South River is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. South River Club was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969....
, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
where the club met.
The club
The South River Club (also known as "The Old South River Club") survives today as one of the oldest, continuously active organizations of its type in America. There is evidence that the club itself existed in 1732 and perhaps as early as 1700. The date of its founding remains unknown because the early records were lost when the first clubhouse burned down. Club records show that it existed before February 11, 1742 when a resolution was passed to attempt to record all previous members names. As early as 1746, the club was referred to as "The Ancient South River Club" in the Maryland Gazette.The early members included prominent landowners, merchants, and the local doctor and clergyman, all of whom lived within a 10-mile radius of the clubhouse.
The members of the club meet at the clubhouse four times per year for feasts prepared in the detached kitchen. Women are only allowed in the clubhouse on "Pilgrimage Days."
The clubhouse
It is not clear where the first clubhouse stood. There is some speculation that it was in Londontowne, MarylandLondontowne, Maryland
Londontowne is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,595 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, but sufficient doubt remains.
Built in 1742, on land purchased from Captain Thomas Gassaway, son of Colonel Nicholas Gassaway
Nicholas Gassaway
Colonel Nicholas Gassaway was a colonial military and political leader and justice in early Maryland. He is also notable for having originated the family name Gassaway , as a variant of his father Thomas Gaswaie’s family name...
, the present structure is a small frame, -story one-room clubhouse with a gable roof and a narrow exterior chimney on the east gable end. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1969.
External links
- South River Club, Anne Arundel County, including photo from 1967, at Maryland Historical Trust