Malta Boat Club records


Collection 1525

1867-2020, undated; bulk 1900-1980
(8.8 Linear feet ; 21 boxes, 9 volumes, 1 flat file)
© Historical Society of Pennsylvania1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Summary Information

Repository
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Malta Boat Club (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Title
Malta Boat Club records
ID
1525
Date
1867-2020, undated; bulk 1900-1980
Extent
8.8 Linear feet ; 21 boxes, 9 volumes, 1 flat file
Author
Finding aid prepared by Sarah Leu.
Sponsor
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The processing of additions to the collection made in 2021 was generously funded by the Malta Boat Club.
Language
English
Abstract
Established as the Malta Barge Club by members of the Minnehaha Lodge of the Sons of Malta in 1860, Malta Boat Club is an amateur rowing and social club located on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Malta Boat Club's membership currently includes several prominent Philadelphians from a variety of professions. The Malta Boat Club records, 1867-2020, consist of administrative and financial records including correspondence, minutes, meeting notices and newsletters, account books and ledgers, treasurer's records, copies of the Rowing News (1954-1958), and other materials.

Preferred citation

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Malta Boat Club records (Collection 1525), Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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Background note

Malta Boat Club is an amateur rowing club located on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The club was founded as the Malta Barge Club in 1860 by members of the Minnehaha Lodge (Philadelphia) of the Sons of Malta, a fraternal order active in the mid-19th century. The club's colors are royal blue and white, and its symbol is the Maltese cross (white cross on a blue, square background). Malta Boat Club's membership currently includes several prominent businessmen, doctors, lawyers, educators, priests, and students. Former members include U.S. boxing and wrestling champions, a congressman, a Philadelphia district attorney, and Olympians.

The club's original home and storage location for its six-oared barge "Minnehaha'' was a house on Smith Island in the Delaware River, somewhat in line with Chestnut Street. The club reorganized and moved to the east side of the Schuylkill River above the Spring Garden Street dam in 1863. Two years later, Malta Boat Club joined the Schuylkill Navy and acquired the Excelsior Club's clubhouse on Boathouse Row. Malta and neighboring Vesper Boat Club joined together to build a new boathouse at this location in 1873. Originally one and a half stories, the Malta side of the boathouse was expanded in 1880. In 1901, George and William Hewitt designed further additions for the boathouse, giving Malta a third story and making it the tallest boathouse on Boathouse Row.

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Scope and content note

The Malta Boat Club records consist of administrative and financial records related to the club and its auxiliary social organization, the Willows Association.

Series 1, Administrative records (1870-2020, undated) consists of committee documents and reports, correspondence, membership documents, meeting notices and newsletters, minutes, legal and property records, and records of the Willows Association of the Malta Boat Club.

Series 2, Financial records (1867-1991, undated) consists of account books, treasurer’s ledgers, bonds, general financial documents, treasurer’s files and reports, and paid bills. There is considerable overlap between the treasurer’s files and paid bills files because the club’s filing scheme has been maintained through collection processing.

Series 3, Miscellaneous (1894-2006, undated) is a very small series mostly comprised of documents related to the Schuylkill Navy and the  Rowing News (1954-1958). There are a few clippings, business cards, and other odd documents.

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Overview of arrangement

1. Administrative records (1870-2020, undated)

2. Financial records (1867-1991)

3. Miscellaneous (1894-2006, undated)

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2017.

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Revision Description

 Additions processed and finding aid updated by Sara H. Nash. ; 2022.

Provenance

Purchased, 1948.

Gift of Malta Boat Club, 2021.

Accession number 2021.030.

Processing note

The 2021 additions were processed and integrated with the existing collection. Files were received in a well-organized state, and they were rehoused in acid-free folders retaining the original folder titles. Some account books are in poor condition. These are housed in folders in boxes to protect them from shelf wear. Acidic papers in the 2021 additions to the collection were photocopied.

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Controlled Access Headings

Subject(s)

  • Clubs and Associations--Philadelphia--19th century.
  • Clubs and Associations--Philadelphia--20th century.
  • Clubs and Associations--Social.
  • Clubs and Associations--Sporting.
  • Rowing clubs--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
  • Rowing--Philadelphia--19th century

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Collection Inventory

1. Administrative records (1870-2020, undated) 

Scope and content note

This series consists of committee documents and reports, correspondence, membership documents, meeting notices and newsletters, minutes, legal and property records, and records of the Willows Association of the Malta Boat Club (auxiliary social organization).

Committees and reports (1900-1958, undated) 
Box Folder

Committees - Building Committee and Improvement Committee reports [PHOTOCOPIES] (February 1900 - June 1900)  

 1 1

Committees - Building Committee and Improvement Committee reports [ORIGINALS- FRAGILE, PLEASE USE PHOTOCOPIES IN BOX 1 FOLDER 1] (February 1900 - June 1900) 

 2 1

Committees - Building and Improvement Committee notes (July 1901 - August 1901) 

 1 2

Committees - Committee of Malta Boat Club in Re:Willows Association report on relationship Boat Club and the Willows Association (1907)  

 1 3

Committees - Committee on Abuse of Club Privileges and Club Property (1902-1910)  

 1 4

Committees - Entertainment Committee list (undated)  

 3 1

Committees - House Committee reports (April 1902 - May 1902)  

 1 5

Committees - House Committee event announcement (10 October 1907)  

 1 6

Committees - House Committee reports (1916-1921) 

 2 2

Committees - House Committee and allied reports (1953-1957) 

 1 7

Reports - Delegate to the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen (14 August 1906)  

 1 8

Reports - Captain's reports [9] (1907, 1910-1911, undated) 

 1 9

Reports - Mileage log (1908)  

 1 10

Reports - President's address (Joseph M. McCready) (5 February 1909)  

 1 11

Reports - Miscellaneous (1958, undated) 

 1 12

Correspondence (1896-2020, undated) 
Box Folder

Correspondence (1896, 1900-1901, undated)  

 1 13-17

Correspondence - Letters returned to sender (1907)  

 1 18

Correspondence (1907-1910)  

 4 1-3

Correspondence, etcetera (1914-1930) 

 4 4-10

Correspondence (1931-1959) 

 5 1-12

Correspondence (1959, undated) 

 3 2

Correspondence (1950-2020) 

 6 1-8

Correspondence (undated) 

 7 1

Membership, meetings, and minutes (1898-2009, undated) 
Box Folder

Minutes book (1898-1903) 

 7 2

Minutes book (1904-1915) 

 7 3

Minutes book (1916-1931) 

 7 4

Minutes (1931-1969) 

 8 1-10

Minutes (1970-1974) 

 9 1

Monthly meeting announcement (14 January 1902) 

 9 2

Meeting notices (1957-1961) 

 9 3

Meeting notices/newsletters (1975-2002) 

 9 4-10

Meeting minutes/newsletters (2003-2009) 

 10 1-2

Membership - Rosters, proposed members, and report (1901-1910) 

 10 3

Membership - Partial list of members with notes (undated)  

 10 4

Legal and property (1870-2006, undated) 
Box Folder

Property - Charter of the Malta Boat House Association of Philadelphia (1870) 

 10 5

Property - Malta Boat House Association lease to Malta Boat Club (1885)  

 10 6

Property - Club house contracts (1901-1905)  

 10 7

Shower room - Bills (1949) 

 10 8

Boathouse Row lighting (1979) 

 10 9

Malta Boathouse renovations binder (1987-1992) 

 10 10

Architectural file (1998-2006, undated) 

 10 11
Oversize

Architectural drawings (2004) 

 Flat file 1
Box Folder

Architectural drawings (copies) (undated) 

 3 3

Willows Association of the Malta Boat Club (1894-2019, undated) 
Box Folder

Minutes book of the Willows Association of the Malta Boat Club (1894-1901)  

 10 12

Willows Association of the Malta Boat Club (1905-1950) 

 10 13

Willows Association deposit book (1916-1917) 

 10 14

Willows Association history (2019, undated) 

 11 1

Miscellaneous records (1932-1985, undated) 
Box Folder

Malta Boat Club histories (1932-1985, undated) 

 11 2

Club anniversary parties: 25th, 75th, 100th, 125th, 150th (1935-2010, undated) 

 11 3

Statistical data (1933-1935) 

 11 4

Insurance - expired (1942) 

 11 5

Malta Boat Club Manual, second edition (1985) 

 11 6

Malta Boat Club record of winners’ times, regattas (1934) 

 3 4

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2. Financial records (1867-1991, undated) 

Scope and content note

This series consists of account books, treasurer’s ledgers, bonds, general financial documents, treasurer’s files and reports, and paid bills. There is considerable overlap between the treasurer’s files and paid bills files because the club’s filing scheme has been maintained through collection processing.

Account books, ledgers, and reports (1884-1991) 
Box Folder

Treasurer’s ledger (1884-1891) 

 11 7

Account book - Coupon sales (1888-1890)  

 11 8

Cash book (1892-1901) 

 2 3
Volume

Treasurer’s ledger (1892-1934) 

 1
Box Folder

Account book - General (1892-1898) 

 11 9

Account book - Building fund (1901)  

 11 10

Account book - Building fund "duplicate" (1901-1908)  

 11 11

Account book - Contractors, subscribers and bonds, and bond transfers (1901-1909)  

 11 12

Account book - Materials removed from "Contractors, subscribers and bonds, and bond transfers" (1902-1908)  

 12 1
Volume

Treasurer’s ledger (1910-1921) 

 2

Treasurer’s ledger (1931-1933) 

 3
Box Folder

Treasurer’s ledger (1933-1939) 

 2 4
Volume

Treasurer’s ledger (1939-1945) 

 4

Treasurer’s ledger (1945-1951) 

 5
Box Folder

Material removed from Volume 5 (1950) 

 12 2
Volume

Treasurer’s ledger (1964-1969) 

 6

Treasurer’s ledger (1969-1973) 

 7

Treasurer’s ledger (1973-1979) 

 8

Treasurer’s ledger (1980-1991) 

 9
Box Folder

Treasurer’s reports (1909-1974) 

 12 3-11

Files (1867-1980, undated) 
Box Folder

Receipts (1867) 

 13 1

Financial accounts (1880-1897, undated) 

 13 2-4

Loans (1894-1932) 

 13 5

Financial accounts (1898-1902) 

 13 6-8

Receipts (May 1902 - November 1902)  

 13 9

Financial accounts (January 1903 - June 1903) 

 13 10-11

Receipts (May 1903)  

 13 12

Financial accounts (July 1903 - June 1904) 

 14 1-4

Receipts (April 1904 - November 1904) 

 14 5

Financial accounts (July 1904 - May 1905) 

 14 6-7

Financial accounts (January 1905 - May 1908) 

 15 1-7

Financial accounts (June 1908 - December 1908) 

 16 1

Bonds (1908-1913) 

 2 5-6

Financial accounts (January 1909 - December 1911) 

 16 2-6

Financial accounts (1912, undated) 

 17 1-2

Financial accounts (undated) 

 2 7

Bank statement (1926) 

 17 3

Treasurer’s files (1964-1972) 

 17 4-9

Treasurer’s files (1971-1974) 

 18 1-2

Treasurer’s file, 1973 (1973) 

 3 5

Paid bills 1973 (1973-1975) 

 18 3-6

Treasurer’s file, 1974 (1973-1974) 

 18 7

Treasurer’s file, 1975 (1958-1975) 

 19 1

Paid bills, 1975 (1974-1975) 

 19 2

Treasurer’s files (1972-1977) 

 19 3-5

Treasurer’s file (1978-1980) 

 20 1-4

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3. Miscellaneous (1894-2006, undated) 

Scope and content note

This very small series is comprised mostly of documents related to the Schuylkill Navy and the Rowing News (1954-1958). There are a few clippings, business cards, and other odd documents.
Box Folder

John R. Read dinner program, ticket, and seating chart (14 April 1894)  

 20 5

The Evening Bulletin "Men and Things" article about the Philadelphia Record [PHOTOCOPY] [16 May 1902] 

 20 6

William Post's lectures on banking (April 1906 - May 1906) 

 20 7

Schuylkill Navy (1934-2006, undated) 

 20 8-9

Diversity controversy clippings (photocopies) [1994, undated] 

 21 1

Business cards (undated)  

 21 2

Rowing News  (1954-1958) 

 21 3-7

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