The Germantown Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was one of the four principal cricket clubs in the city and was one of the clubs contributing members to the famous Philadelphian cricket team. It was founded on 1 August 1854 in what is now the northwest section of the city. Its clubhouse was designed by architects McKim, Mead & White, the same architects who designed the Newport Casino tennis club. It is supposed to be the place where tennis first started in America. The U.S. National tennis championship, precursor to today's US Open, was played on Germantown Cricket's lawn tennis courts from 1921 to 1923.
One of the most famous cricket matches held at Germantown was that against Lord Hawke's team in 1891. The game was attended by over 7000 spectators and led to the founding of the Associated Clubs of Philadelphia which selected the top cricketers in Philadelphia each year to represent the city on the Gentlemen of Philadelphia team. Cricket is still regularly played on Germantown's exquisitely maintained cricket pitch lawn during the spring and fall, bracketing the summer tennis season.
The Germantown Cricket Club was located in Nicetown from 1877 until 1890 when it moved to its present Manheim Street location after the merging with the Young America Cricket Club in 1890. The Newhall brothers joined the Germantown cricket team at this time after being the backbone of the Young America Cricket Club for forty years. George Newhall became editor of the American Cricketer which was published from 1877 to 1926. Walter Newhall scored his first century aged 12 and died in the Civil War. He fought on the Union side. It continues as a private club with facilities for tennis, squash, swimming, and special events.
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