{"nrhp_refnum":"79000525","name":"San Diego Rowing Club","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"525 E. Harbor Dr","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Diego","county":"San Diego County","state":"CA","lat":32.70446089500007,"lon":-117.16303742399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-08-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A wooden clubhouse on pilings over the tidelands of San Diego Bay at 525 E. Harbor Drive, San Diego, California, built in 1899 for the rowing club first known as the Excelsior Rowing and Swimming Club. J. H. Cassidy was the contractor.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as the home of San Diego's first rowing club, organized in 1888 and called the \"Father of Aquatic Sports\" in the city. Its membership included many civic leaders, and the club sponsored one of California's earliest Sea Scout ship companies. It is described as the last surviving recreational boathouse in the city and the last to function in its original use.","narrative":"Built in 1899 on pilings over San Diego Bay, this wooden boathouse at 525 E. Harbor Drive housed the San Diego Rowing Club, which began in 1888 as the Excelsior Rowing and Swimming Club. The board-and-batten building originally measured about 45 by 82 feet, with verandas, club rooms, dressing rooms, showers and a large boat room. It was enlarged in 1905, between 1911 and 1913, and again in 1932, and was once painted barn red. Landfill has since enclosed it, ending its open-water setting. The club is credited with fostering rowing, swimming, handball and diving in San Diego, trained Olympic athletes, hosted early women's clubs, and has housed Sea Scouts since 1922. Many mayors, judges and business leaders were members. It is described as the last surviving recreational boathouse in the city and the last still used for its original purpose, though deteriorating pilings and port plans threatened its future.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Architect unknown; J. H. Cassidy, Contractor","architectural_style":"Early Shingle Style","criteria":[],"status_note":"In limited use for rowing; pilings show advanced deterioration and the building faces a threat of demolition from harbor development. A fire inspector declared it hazardous for occupancy.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.96939-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/79000525.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860974","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-diego-county/san-diego-rowing-club-79000525/"}