Amackassin Club Tennis

Amackassin Club is a privately owned pool and tennis club established in 1888 in Yonkers, New York.

In 1887 the owners of a piece of land on North Broadway (later the site of Commerce High School and today the site of Yonkers' Palisade Preparatory School) agreed to fill in the foundation of the former Peabody House hotel, which had burned down, and build Yonkers' first clay tennis court.  The court became a popular place for young people to play tennis and socialize.^[1]  

In June 1888, twenty nine tennis players voted to form the "Yonkers Lawn Tennis Club". In 1891, the club moved to a leased site on the northeast corner of Palisade and Glenwood Avenues. Three courts were laid out (with a fourth added later) and a hose from a nearby member's house provided water. In 1892, the membership wanted something more permanent than the leased site and the storage box. A committee recommended that the club purchase an acre and a half on Palisade Avenue from John H. Lewis for $8,000. The committee also recommended that a clubhouse be immediately be erected.  In March 1893, the sixty or so members at the meeting adopted the committee's report, although some thought the location too remote as it was about a 1/2 mile to the north. The clubhouse was designed by architect G. Howard Chamberlain (who also designed Philipsburgh Hall on Hudson Street) and was quickly completed.^[1] On New Year's Day 1894 the new clubhouse hosted a grand opening party^[2] that was noted in the New York Times. In 1897, the club name was officially changed to "Amackassin Club."^[3]

In 1955, the club added a swimming pool to help increase membership. It opened on July 2, 1955.^[4]

On September 6, 2018, the clubhouse was struck by lighting. ^[5]The fire and water damage resulted in the interior needing 90% replacement. Although the Clubhouse was not available for a number of years, the Six Red Clay Tennis Courts, Swimming Pool and Paddle Court were available to the membership and their guests. The clubhouse restoration project was delayed mostly due to the COVID era and was not reopened until May 27th, 2022. ^[6]The bar was re-opened on July 1, 2022. During that time, membership dropped due to COVID and no clubhouse but since the reopening, membership has increased and Tennis has done very well. The club has 5 interclub tennis teams.

• The Amackassin Club Championships which have been held starting from 1888 to the present day
• The Amackassin Club Invitation was an open invitation tournament from 1890 to 1935. For the first year, only one other local club was invited ^[7] but, in 1891 the invite was extended to all players in Yonkers and vicinity ^[8]. In 1892 the invite was extended to "Tennis experts from the entire Hudson Valley" ^[9]. In 1917 and for a number of years afterwards, the Amackassin Club hosted the Eastern New York State Championship Tournament where the top players in the country took part. At least four Amackassin Invitation Title holders were later inducted to the International Hall of Fame. They are Francis Hunter, Vincent Richards, Elisabeth Moore, and Marie Wagner.^[10] Wagner also won four Amackassin Club Women's Singles Championship Titles as an Amackassin member as shown within this article. Both Richards and Wagner lived in Yonkers near the Amackassin Club.^{[11] [12]}
• The Amackassin Club hosted the Eastern Girls Championship from 1932 to 1954. In 1955, matches were shifted to the Yonkers Racquet Club from the annual site at the Amackassin Club which replaced two of its clay courts with a swimming pool. ^[13]
• The 1929, ^[14]1930,^[15] 1931^[16] New York State Junior Singles Championship Tournament
• At least fifteen exceptional players that played at the Amackassin Club that were later inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame were: Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, Clarence Griffith, Francis Hunter, Karel Kozeluh, Rene Lacoste, Elisabeth Moore, Robert Lindley Murray, Hans Nusslein, Vince Richards, Bill Tilden, Richard Norris Williams, Beals Wright and Marie Wagner.
  • On 5/28/1919, Future Hall of Famer Beals Wright teamed with Craig Biddle but lost to Walter Merrill Hall and National Indoor Champion S. Howard Voshell 8-6, 8-6, 5-7, 6-2 in a thrilling exhibition match. ^[17]
  • On 6/1/1919, Future Tennis Hall of Famer Clarence Griffith teamed with Willis E. Davis to defeat Future Tennis Hall of Famer Robert Lindley Murray and Leonard Beekman 10-8, 4-6, 8-6 In an Exhibition Doubles Match ^[18]
  • On October 30, 1921 the Amackassin Club Hosted exhibition matches. In the feature match, future Hall of Famer Bill Tilden defeated Yonkers own Future Tennis Hall of Famer Vince Richards 6-4, 6-2. Future Tennis Hall of Famer Richard Norris Williams defeated Nathaniel W. Niles of Boston 6-2, 7-5. Richards and Tilden teamed up to beat Williams and Niles in doubles 9-7, 6-1. The exhibition matches were for a fund Raiser for the Aid of the American Committee for the Devastated France.^[19]
  • On Septmber 25, 1926, four Future Tennis Hall of Famers, Rene Lacoste, Francis T. Hunter, Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet participated in exhibition matches for a “Benefit Affair” ^[20]
  • On 7/2/1932, Future Tennis Hall of Famer Karel Kozeluh defeats Future Tennis Hall of Famer Hans Nusslein 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match ^[21]
  • Future Tennis Hall of Famer Elisabeth Moore – Played in 5 Amackassin Club Invitational Tournaments winning 3 Singles and 1 Women’s doubles
  • Future Tennis Hall of Famer Marie Wagner played in 12 Amackassin Club Invitational Tournaments holding 3 Singles, 5 Women’s Doubles and 1 Mixed Doubles Titles, as well as a four-time Amackassin Club Singles Champion as an Amackassin Member
  • Francis Hunter and Vice Richards also hold Amackassin Invitation Titles.

The Amackassin Men's Singles Tournament which started in 1888 is one of the oldest, if not the oldest Amateur Tennis Tournament in the United States. It is also possible that the Amackassin Women's Tournament which started in 1889 is one of the oldest if not the oldest Amateur Women's Tournaments in the United states.

The Amackassin Clubhouse walls have four plaques displaying the Club Champions from the 1888 tournament to the current day. Along with the giant wall plaques, the Men's Singles Championship Bowl is now over 75 years old engraved with the winners since 1950. The Women's Cup dates back to 1909 ^[22] and is engraved with the results from 1970 onward. The Junior Boys Cup dates back to 1929. ^[23]

The Championship Finals are held each year, and for more than the last 70 years they have been held over Labor Day Weekend. In 2025, the preliminary matches were played in July and August while the seventeen finals were played over the Labor Day Weekend.

• Amackassin Club