Just six years after the American Civil War ended, a group of Detroit businessmen and sports enthusiasts founded a hunting and fishing club on Harsens Island as a retreat from the growing metropolis. Attracted by the island’s fowl- and fish-rich waters, it was originally known as the Lake St. Clair Fishing and Shooting Club. In 1902, it was renamed The Old Club.
“The Old Club has been a summer haven for generations of Detroit’s most influential families,” says Commodore Sean Southers, the 153rd person to hold that position in the club’s long history. “Henry and Edsel Ford, the Dodge Brothers, and the Fisher family all belonged to the club over the years.”
Southers says the Packard and Buhl families, Steve Yzerman, John Wayne, Uncle Kracker, and Kirk Gibson are also among those who have stayed or eaten there.
The original hunting shanty was replaced by a Victorian clubhouse in 1887 and was rebuilt in 1926, after the structure was destroyed by fire. Over time, additional buildings, including summer homes, were constructed along the shipping channel. All reflected the Victorian aesthetic, characterized by ornate detailing, asymmetrical facades, and verandas reminiscent of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, says general manager Wendy Anglin. Today, the 66-acre club includes 55 privately owned residences, a clubhouse, The Ritz (a 24-room boutique hotel built in 1917 for members and their guests), dedicated employee housing, and boathouses.
Southers discovered the club on a random boating expedition. “As a newer boater crossing Lake St. Clair one summer day, my wife and I came across the candy-colored Boardwalk cottages that form a gentle curve at the entrance of the South Channel,” he remembers. “The site was enchanting, with turn-of-the-century homes perched curiously atop wooden pilings above the water. Cruising by, with the beautiful blue water framing the view, the Boardwalk is the first hint of the beauty of The Old Club.”
Years later, Southers and his wife were invited to attend a dinner with fellow members of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club as part of an outing to the island. “We completely fell in love with The Old Club and, within the first year of joining, we ended up buying one of those iconic Boardwalk cottages.”
Unfortunately, some of the Boardwalk cottages fell victim to a tragic fire in March of 2023. “The candy-colored cottages, stretching to the tip of the island for decades, were beloved landmarks,” Anglin says. “The loss was deeply felt by the community, as the structures were integral to the island’s historic landscape.” Board member Michael Badalamente, of South Channel Homes, has worked to rebuild the cottages that were lost, as well as working on the club’s ongoing renovation.
“Over the years, The Old Club has constantly grown, evolved, and shifted,” Southers explains. In the past two years, that has also included updates to the historic clubhouse, including a “completely reimagined” River Bar, “which now features an infusion of nautical chic design” as well as “nods to its unique fishing and shooting heritage on the St. Clair Flats.
The club’s screened-in porch, which overlooks the St. Clair River, also received a face-lift with new screens, windows, and all-weather flooring and furniture. “It’s one of the favorite dining spots for members, offering a more casual setting with picturesque views,” Southers says.
Sevearl decades after being founded, the club, which currently has 167 members, has expanded its offerings to include not only fishing and trap shooting, but golf, tennis, pickleball, swimming, and more. What attracts members, however, hasn’t changed. The club, Southers explains, is a place to get away from it all. “Surrounded by the pristine, fresh water of the Great Lakes delta known as the St. Clair Flats, members at this exclusive, private club enjoy the simple life: playing, laughing, relaxing, and connecting with family and friends,” he says.
Anglin agrees: “The Old Club remains a testament to Victorian design and continues to be a cherished part of Harsens Island’s heritage,” she says.
