House and Garden 
THE MEN’S CLUB HOUSE FROM THE REAR 
and where pleasant functions bring them together 
under intimate and natural conditions. 
Philadelphia is fortunate in possessing several good 
country clubs, which have become famous according 
to the prominence given to their respective games. 
As Philadelphia is the home of American cricket, it 
seems only natural to write first about one of its 
several cricket clubs. 
The Germantown Cricket Club is the leading 
cricket club in America, cricket taking precedence 
of all other games, although generous provision is 
made for other sports, while 
the social element plays a 
prominent part in club life. 
The Club is beautifully 
situated on the west side of 
Germantown, within a few 
minutes’ walk of Queen Lane 
Station, on the Pennsylvania 
Railroad. It is on the Man- 
heim estate, which is sur¬ 
rounded by Morris Street, 
Hansbury Street and Man- 
heim Street on three sides, 
while the fourth side adjoins 
the country places on Wis- 
sahickon Avenue. The Club 
is more often spoken of as 
“Manheim” than by its 
proper name. 
Old trees have been care¬ 
fully preserved, and shrubs 
have been planted and massed 
affording a beautiful back¬ 
ground for the lawns. 
The entrances to the Club 
are well worthy of notice; 
those on Manheim Street 
being the most beautiful; the 
high walls interspersed w ith 
iron railings not only act as 
a boundary to the Club but 
allow delightful glimpses of 
the club life to be seen by the 
passers-by. 
The Germantown Cricket 
Club was founded in 1854, 
and at that time it was purely 
a cricket club, situated at 
Nicetown on the site of what 
is now the Midvale Steel 
Works. Cricket was first 
played in Mr. William Wis- 
ter’s pasture, and in 1856 on 
the Duy’s Lane grounds. 
During the war for the Union 
in 1861 to 1865 so many 
members enlisted that the 
Club was inactive, but in 1866 it was revived, and 
through the liberality of Mr. H. Pratt McKean 
occupied the ground at Nicetown,where all Interna¬ 
tional matches were played until the Club opened at 
Manheim in 1890. In 1855 the Young America 
Cricket Club of Germantown was organized, and in¬ 
corporated in 1879. Cricket was first played in Mr. 
Thomas Newhall’s pasture, then in 1858 at Turn¬ 
pike bridge, and in 1874 at Nicetown. Four years 
later the Club returned to the Turnpike bridge, and 
in 1879 occupied the grounds at Stenton. In 1890 
VIEW^FROM THE PERGOLA 
88 
