The Washington times., 1927-10-08
to Establish Playground
On Wooded Banks of the Potomac; Club Prospers
Sport Lovers Interested in
New Project; Part of
Original Mt. Vernon
Estate Chosen
By JEAN ELIOT

" Yacht and Country Club in the
list of Washington's assets.
The bright dream of establishing
q playground on the beautiful banks
Of the Potomac is about to ma.
terialize, and through a combination
Of vision and happy chance, the new
club will be located on picturesque
wooded rise that was part Of the
original Mount Vernon estate.
The Mount Vernon Yacht and
Country Club, chartered by the
State of Virginia, has purchased
Marsland-on.the-P Potomac, long the
country home of Col. and Mrs.
James A. Drain. and the adjoining
home Of Judge and Mrs. John w:
Price-a tract of over $50 acres OF
beautiful rolling meadows and wood.
land, with a mile and half OF
river front And its purpose is to
create a social organization, which
will be a source of pride to it's
members and which will bring dis
tinction to those identified with It.
Frederick Irving Cox, until recent
" Interstate Commerce Commits
eioner, is president of the new or
ganization with Judge John w.
Price as vice-president and treas
urer; Leslie c. Garnett, vice-presi-
dent, and William Bowie Clark, sec.
retary. The membership is recruited
largely from prominent Washing.
tonians and from Virginiansf who
have an especially enthusiastic in
terest in the project. It is expected,
however, that there will be eventual
" a large out -of-town membership,
but the selection of this group-in-
deed. Of all the members-is pro-
crossing slowly with a view to limit.
ing the club to men and women VINO
have a community of interest in
sport and who are personally con.
genial. Since no tremendous outlay
IS proposed Immediately. there is no
necessity for a great drive for mem
bers, which sometimes results in the
spelling of new club.
Ambitious Program
However, the present program 10
ambitious enough. There will be an
1S-hole golf course, tennis courts,
horse show grounds, etc, and work
is to begin soon on dredging the
natural harbor at the mouth OF Lit
tie Hunting Creek and building locks,
yacht lockers, etc.
1t is expected that this pic
turesque club will become q sort
of a half way house for yachts
men from all over the country who
visit the Florida coast in the win.
ter and drift North with the
spring. For there is no place near
the Capital, where they can find
such facilities as will be offered,
where they can take their families
ashore to stay at a pleasant club
house and where they can enter.
tain their friends. And it's all
within half an hours ride Of Wash
ington. Many foreign yachtsmens
are already making inquiries about
membership and the little group
Of Washingtonians who go in for
yachting are interested almost to
q man.
Pleasant Quraters
The club is to be financed
through the sale Of memberships
founder. perpetual memberships, life
memberships and active member
shipg-and 1t is estimated that the
money in hand will cover the cost
of carrying the estate and the i'm.
mediate improvements.
Eventually, probably, there will be
q fine new club house, but the
property includes two comfortable
buildings, the Drain house, man
sion with big airy rooms and wide
verandas looking off to Mt. Vernon
and down the Potomac for miles,
and Judge Prices charming modern
residence Of the Colonial type.
These will be sufficient for the
needs Of the organization for many
q day, the Marsland mansion being
used as the club house and the
Price residence as an annex, where
club members may put up. for q
few days at q time. and where they
may find a quiet corner for bridge
or reading when dances or other
festivities arD in progress in the
club proper.
Opening in Spring
It IL expected that the club will
be ready to open formally in tbs
spring, with the golf course near.
ing completion-famous golf archi,
tects pronounce the site ideal and
. horse show ring and race track
installed. This will be a compare
lively BIIAlpi0 HidtLCAs AOA LhCAO .
great tree-ringed meadow, running
up to the boundaries of Fort Hunt,
and it needs little work beside the
building Of grand stands and stables.
There Is a plan to open the club
with 4 horse show next May, such
3 horse show as Washington has
rot seen in many long day. Some
of the most famous horsemen in
Virginia are to be members Of the
club and will run the show.
Meanwhile, furniture is being In.
stalled, there will be q cook and a
house boy or two on duty. and
club members who are interested in
the duck shooting may put UP at
the club for few days at time
through the autumn and winter.
For lovers Of rod and gun will find
paradise The streams abound in
fish. thousands of wild ducks use
the flats along the club frontage
blinds have already been set out
for this seasons shooting the
fields are thick with quail. 1t was