Rowing in Toledo & The Philip LeBoutillier, Jr. Memorial Boathouse

The Toledo Rowing Club was established by one woman and nine men (including Phil LeBoutillier) who had rowed in their high school and college days and who wanted to bring the sport of rowing to the attention of the Toledo Community.

Rowing on the Maumee River flourished in the 1880's and 1890's with three clubs in Toledo and one in Perrysburg. Ribbons from some of them are in the archives of the Toledo Rowing Foundation.

Pete Bentley recalls Phil's request that he row in an exhibition rowing event in Walbridge Park in the 1949 City event, Toledo Aquarama, led by the TOLEDO BLADE. Pete considers this the first attempt by Phil to revive rowing as a sport in Toledo. In the early 1980's,almost 100 years after its high point, rowing was back with the 70 members of the Toledo Rowing Club.

The Club, using 35 shells that were stored in borrowed space in the City's Bridges and Harbors Maintenance Building, now the site of Gumbo's, began to row.

After 15 years of work, promotion, and development, Toledo Rowing had outgrown its space, which had already been enlarged several times. Coinciding with the club's request for more space was the City's determination to develop International Park and The Docks.

With the City's help, matching our raised money dollar for dollar up to $200,000, the Toledo Rowing Foundation, under the leadership of Steve Monro, Chairman and Treasurer, and George LeBoutillier, Development Chair, launched the Capital Campaign for our new Boathouse.

Contributions came from individuals and corporations, some of whom would never see the inside of a rowing shell, but who believed in the positive results the sport would engrain in our youth. As a result of five years of effort, just under $1,000,000 was raised in cash and in-kind donations to build the boathouse.

On October 13th, 1999, The Philip LeBoutillier Memorial Boathouse was dedicated by the Toledo Rowing Foundation Chairman, Steve Monro and christened by the following members of Phil's family: Fe, his widow, Philip G. and George F., his sons, and Philip G. Jr., and Megan T. his grandchildren. Megan and Phil Jr. broke the bottle of Champagne on door 2 at 7:18 PM.

Since then Toledo Rowing has grown in size, achievements, and awareness in the US and Canada. We have a proud heritage, an exceptional Boathouse, and a rowing venue that rivals many of the more famous ones in the US.