Arlington Public Library: Washington Golf And Country Club

Arlington VA

12 August, 2021

11:57 AM

Description

Press release from Arlington Public Library: August 12, 2021 The Washington Golf and Country Club, taken in the late 1930s. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress. The club was incorporated in 1894 by members of the Metropolitan Club, though evidence exists that it was first organized in 1892. The Club was a social and literary group founded by employees of the Treasury Department and whose members were of the elite echelons of Washington society, including Senators, ambassadors, and other men in high government positions. This was around the time when golf was becoming a major recreational craze. The 9-hole golf course was built on a 165-acre tract leased from the Hoover family, just north of Rosslyn. The Hoover family home became the de facto clubhouse for the golfers. It was noted that a man named Jackson also lived and worked on the property that became the golf course. Jackson had been enslaved by the Hoover family and later became their servant and then a servant at the golf club. The club was incorporated in 1894 by members of the Metropolitan Club, though evidence exists that it was first organized in 1892. The Club was a social and literary group founded by employees of the Treasury Department and whose members were of the elite echelons of Washington society, including Senators, ambassadors, and other men in high government positions. This was around the time when golf was becoming a major recreational craze. The 9-hole golf course was built on a 165-acre tract leased from the Hoover family, just north of Rosslyn. The Hoover family home became the de facto clubhouse for the golfers. It was noted that a man named Jackson also lived and worked on the property that became the golf course. Jackson had been enslaved by the Hoover family and later became their servant and then a servant at the golf club. The Washington Golf Club in the 1920s at the Rixey property. Want to learn more about golf history in the region? Check out Golf and Civil Rights in Washington, DC. To learn more about Arlington's history, visit the Center for Local History on the first floor of the Central Library. Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share?  Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History. Central Library, First Floor 1015 North Quincy Street Arlington VA 22201 703-228-5990 This press release was produced by Arlington Public Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.