It may be too hot for it right now, but once the summer cools down, you’ll probably be ready to head outside for some fresh air and exercise. Sports in Philadelphia have been around to fill that need for centuries and our two new PhilaPlace stories are sure to give you some new insight into that history. The Phillies and baseball may be a staple of Philadelphia today, but before that, cricket was the city’s iconic sport.
Germantown Cricket Club clubhouse
In the mid-1850s, cricket finally gained a foothold in America and it expanded quickly. The sport found one of its earliest and greatest homes in The Germantown Cricket Club, started by a group of schoolboys on this day in 1854. Even though its members were much younger than those of the other cricket players in town, the club practically defined American cricket. The club expanded and outlasted the fall of cricket, and it continues to operate today. Its legacy extends beyond cricket and the story of The Germantown Cricket Club is one of war, sibling rivalries, and good old-fashioned fun.
Bill Tilden (center)
The next story follows the life of the club’s most famous, and infamous member, Bill Tilden. Tennis took over at the club in the early 1900s, and Tilden took over tennis in the 1920s. He was the world champion for over a decade and he was as much a celebrity as he was an athlete. When Tilden matched the highest standards of the sport, he continued and created a new, deeper game around him.
In the tennis world, he was nearly invincible, but he met far greater challenges in his personal life. Tilden’s still strong career and lavish life in Hollywood came to a sudden end and he found himself alone and forgotten. To find out what happened, you’ll have to read on!
