Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Club Celebrates 50 Years

While the Fourth of July is known as the birthday of the United States, Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in addition.

On a hot and sunny day – perfect for swimming – the club's celebration consisted of several events, including having a DJ on hand, a mad science show and a barbeque, which was operated by Villarina's Pasta & Fine Foods.

Liz Fuerstman, president of the club's board, said they invited founding members to attend the event.

Barbara Whittlesey, who helped found the pool in 1960 with her husband John Whittlesey, was there.

"The whole atmosphere is a completely different atmosphere," she said.

Whittlesey said she was "tremendously delighted" to see how people enjoyed the results of their work.

The club was founded in reaction to a vote in 1959 to get a town swimming pool in New Castle was defeated, according to Katri Backman-Koster, a member of the club who did research on its history. It was first known at the Chappaqua Swimming Pool Association, and the founders made sure that membership would be open to anyone who could pay.

The Whittleseys, along with John Hunsicker and his wife, and William Standerwick and his wife, were instrumental in getting the place set up, according to Backman-Koster. They were then joined by other memberships of the community. The project was done at a low cost, as volunteers worked to clear the land that would have the pool. Ultimately, it opened in June 1960, a few weeks after the initial deadline of Memorial Day. Luckily, members got to keep swimming into September, Backman-Koster said. The tennis courts were built later on.

Demand for membership was so high that a waiting list developed, she said. The ongoing demand led to the creation of Birchwood Swim & Tennis, she explained, which is a similar club in Chappaqua.

"It was a very, very popular thing and still is," she said.

Backman-Koster put together several reminders of the club's history: a poster showing newspaper clippings from the time, a frame containing pictures taken for the club and group portraits of club swim teams going back to 1989 (she has older ones to hang up). All of the displays are located at the main building next to the main, T-shaped pool.

Club members were enjoying the day.

Kevin Shaw, who lives near by the Hardscrabble Road club, said it was like having a backyard pool.

Brendon Preston, who was there with his wife and two kids, said there's no better way to spend the Fourth of July with friends and family.