Lakeside Yacht Club History

In July 1930, one year following the crash of the stock market, at the start of the Great Depression, a group of undaunted men organized Lakeside Yacht Club and secured a lease at the site of the old Cleveland Yacht Club lagoon on the 9th street pier, downtown Cleveland. One short year later, the members of Lakeside Yacht Club learned that they would soon be evicted from their east 9th street location to make room for the forthcoming Great Lakes Exposition. The club’s lagoon was to be filled to create new land, which after the Exposition, would be used for an east-west throughway we know as Ohio Route 2.

In 1932, the club moved to its new home at the foot of east 49th street. The break wall was already in place and the club focused on developing an entrance to the harbor and construction of suitable docking facilities. During these formative years, one of the members permitted the use of his 75-foot yacht as the clubhouse. Meanwhile, the club expanded rapidly with outboards, small to large cruisers, and a sprinkling of sail craft.

In 1933, Lakeside Yacht Club secured a retired excursion barge and towed it from Erie, Pennsylvania to Cleveland. After a complete renovation, the barge was transformed into a clubhouse including a bar. The members who financed this venture were given a 10-year concession to operate the bar, restaurant, and gasoline pump. At this time, ownership of the barge was turned over to the club.

A devastating fire swept through the structure in 1966 and consumed the entire barge. New construction was soon underway and when completed the present clubhouse opened in 1968.

In the summer of 1972, Hurricane Agnes left her mark on the Lakeside Yacht Club lagoon with mangled docks, splintered wood and debris. Two months later, a violent line of thunderstorms passed through and completed the destruction of 165 docks, leaving Lakeside Yacht Club with 20 fractured docks.

With determination and perseverance, club members financed the reconstruction of the harbor and the installation of floating docks, all in time for the 1973 boating season. Since then, Lakeside Yacht Club has enjoyed steady growth. Lakeside Yacht Club is proud to have successfully weathered numerous impending storms and looks ahead with confidence to a long and successful future.

1997 brought major construction to the club. Near the lagoon entrance, a fuel dock was completed with four slips, one diesel pump, and two gas pumps. An extension to the clubhouse brought outside accessible showers/restrooms for swimmers at the new pool. During this expansion, a new storage shed was also constructed on the point.

The millennium brought increased and improved services and amenities to Lakeside Yacht Club including a new gas house with restrooms, and a completely new North Dock in 2012. The continual improvements allow Lakeside Yacht Club to enjoy a growing membership and an outstanding reputation among Great Lakes guest boaters.