The Old Colony Club is one of the oldest
Gentlemen's Clubs in the United States, founded in 1769 in
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known a ...
.
History
The club was founded in January, 1769, by
Isaac Lothrop,
Pelham Winslow,
Thomas Lothrop
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
, Thomas Mayhew,
Elkanah Cushman
Elkanah ( he, אֱלְקָנָה ''’Ĕlqānā'' "El (deity), El has purchased") was, according to the Books of Samuel, First Book of Samuel, the husband of Hannah (biblical figure), Hannah, and the father of her children including her first, ...
, John Thomas,
Edward Winslow, Jr. and John Watson. Their intent in creating a private club was to avoid "the many disadvantages and inconveniences that arise from intermixing with the company at the taverns in ... Plymouth." It went moribund during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...
due to a split between
Tory
A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...
and
Patriot members, but was revived in 1875. Its clubhouse on Court Street was purchased in 1893.
Traditions
The club meets on Fridays at a much-renovated old
colonial house on Court Street in downtown Plymouth.
The club is best known for its annual celebration of
Forefathers' Day, one of the oldest holidays in America, dating from colonial times.
Hoyle's Official Book of Games notwithstanding, the "extinct" game of
Bestia is still played every Friday night at this institution.
The Old Colony Club boasts among its early members Revolutionary War hero General
Alexander Scammell.
References
External links
Old Colony Club website
{{Coord, 41, 57, 27.7, N, 70, 39, 57.2, W, display=title
Plymouth, Massachusetts
1769 establishments in Massachusetts