Larchmont Yacht Club
All Work | Larchmont Yacht Club, Larchmont, NY
Larchmont Yacht Club
Larchmont, New York
Scope
Founded in 1880, the Larchmont Yacht Club has occupied what was once an imposing private residence since 1887 on the edge of Horseshoe Cove. Expanded upon several times, the building remains a testament to good stewardship of an historic building, as it retains much of its original décor.
According to Club accounts, interlocking rubber tile flooring was installed throughout the first floor circa 1915-1920 during James B. Ford’s tenure as Commodore (1915-1928). Commodore Ford was employed by the U.S. Rubber company, serving as its Vice President
Replaced at many areas over time, the resilient rubber flooring is now extant only in the Commodore’s Room. The Commodores Room floor represents the last remnants of the original installation, and takes a place of pride in full view from the Club entry facing the waterfront.
Concerned with the visible deterioration of this important link to the Clubs history, the services of JHPA Inc. were enlisted to determine what measures could be taken to save this treasured artifact.
JHPA Inc. embarked upon first a considerable historical research effort, followed by testing and investigations into “best practices” for conservation of the extant flooring. It was ultimately determined that the appropriate conservation method was to leave the resilient flooring in-situ, and cover it with a contemporary flooring material from the UK that features a photo-generated image of the extant floor, thus protecting the original floor from use abrasion and UV deterioration, while providing a highly detailed reproduction of the flooring. Pleased with this strategy, fundraising by the club is under way.