Written by Paul Perry on October 8th, 2004. Photos by various sources. Collected by Paul Perry.

Schuylkill River: Philadelphia, PA

Philly's Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River, considered by some to be some of the most beautiful boathouses in the United States, is a rowing venue long celebrated and admired by generations of Rutgers Lightweight Alumni.

Hundreds of Rutgers Lighweights have raced on the Schuylkill. Some alumni have trained on the Schuylkill in the summer months while stowing away in one of the boathouses. Steve Perry, class of '99 and ROAR board member, coached Penn's lightweight frosh program before joining Robert Friedrich '97 at the Naval Academy.

Boathouse Row is home to a cluster of fifteen boathouses that stand on the east bank of the Schuylkill River--the river has played host to some of the greatest races and scullers in the early history of rowing. They boathouses exhibit a wide variety of styles including Gothic Revival and Italianate styles. Most were erected in the 1870s and early 1880s. Lloyd Hall, the only new boat house since 1904, opened in 1998. They sit on public land, but are privately owned.

The first official regatta held on the Schuylkill was in 1876 for the US Centennial. Boathouse Row is also home to the Schuylkill Navy, the oldest amateur athletic association in the country, dating back to the mid 1800s.