The Cincinnati Athletic Club, founded in 1853, is recognized as the oldest continuously operating athletic organization in the United States. The club’s origins trace back to boxer Samuel Barrett, who opened a gymnasium and training school in the Bazaar building on 3rd Street near Broadway. Among its earliest members were Thomas and Joseph Emery, as well as Rutherford B. Hayes, who later became the club’s president and went on to serve as Ohio’s governor and the President of the United States. Hayes, along with other founding members, established the Young Men’s Gymnastic Association (YMGA) with the goal of promoting the benefits of exercise to Cincinnati’s busy businessmen, as detailed in Jonathan Dembo’s The History of The Cincinnati Athletic Club 1853–1976.
In its first year, the YMGA set up a gym in the Apollo Building at 5th and Walnut Streets, outfitted with equipment like climbing ropes, parallel bars, balance beams, and a modern pommel horse. By the late 1850s, the club had adopted a more formal structure, with Hayes serving as president from 1860 to 1861 before resigning to join the military during the Civil War. The club’s membership had grown to over 500 by this time, necessitating a move to larger quarters in the Commercial Building at 4th and Race Streets.
Throughout the late 1800s, the club faced financial difficulties but continued to grow, relocating to various sites, including the St. Lawrence Building and, eventually, the Grand Opera House at Longworth and Vine Streets. In 1901, a devastating fire destroyed the gymnasium at the Grand Opera House, leading the club to rebuild at 111 Shillito Place in 1903. The organization was then renamed the Cincinnati Gymnasium and Athletic Club, and it quickly became a significant presence in local sports, sponsoring teams for gymnastics, track and field, football, baseball, boxing, and basketball.
Over the years, the club attracted several distinguished members, including U.S. Presidents James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, and William Howard Taft (pictured above). The roster of notable Cincinnati figures also included William Procter, Barney Kroger, Jeffrey Lazarus, David Leibman, Charles Scripps, John Sawyer, and Mayor Charlie Luken. In 1916, the club received a bronze tablet donated by Julius Fleischmann, which still hangs in the entrance hall, commemorating club members who served during World War I.
The club endured significant challenges during the Great Depression and again during the 2008 financial crisis, both of which resulted in membership declines and financial instability. Despite these hardships, the Cincinnati Athletic Club persevered, maintaining its status as a non-profit. In recognition of its architectural significance, the club’s building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The structure, noted for its Beaux-Arts Classical style, features vaulted ceilings, arched windows, and Italian handmade tile floors.
Today, the Cincinnati Athletic Club continues to serve as a vibrant hub for social and athletic activities, offering a range of amenities including a 20-yard indoor swimming pool, basketball and racquetball courts, personal training, a track, sauna, massage services, and a museum of athletics. Alongside its athletic prestige, the club’s rich history is reflected in its notable membership and enduring traditions.
In 2023, after a member vote, the club was renamed The Dave Herche Cincinnati Athletic Club in recognition of Mr. Herche’s generosity and commitment to providing continued financial support, ensuring the club’s legacy and vitality for future generations.
To contribute to the longevity and preservation of the historic and architecturally significant building and grounds of the Cincinnati Athletic Club, please visit our page about the The Cincinnati Athletic Club Preservation Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization.