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.

Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Short nameGPYC
Founded1914 (1914)
LocationGrosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, USA
CommodoreIlja Vreeken
WebsiteOfficial website

History
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Location788 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan 48236
Coordinates42.434882°N 82.872055°W / 42.434882; -82.872055
Area25 acres
Built1928-1929
Built byCorrick Brothers
ArchitectRalph Coolidge Henry and Henry P. Richmond
Guy Lowell (concept)
Architectural styleMediterranean Revival
NRHP reference No.14001124
Added to NRHPJanuary 7, 2015 (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
The 131' UNITY leaving the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club harbor in 2009

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
  1. Socia & Berschback 2001.

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
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