Shady Rest Country Club, the first Black-owned and operated country club in the United States, is being revitalized with the help of a $75,000 grant. Located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Shady Rest is one of 30 historic sites selected to receive a portion of $3 million in grant funding from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, an initiative of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The grant, as reported by NPR in July, will aid ongoing restoration efforts at the club, which has long been a symbol of Black excellence in sports and leisure.
Originally built as a farmhouse in the mid-1700s, the property later became a tavern and eventually the Westfield Country Club. In 1921, a group of Black investors, under the Progressive Realty Company Inc., acquired the property and transformed it into Shady Rest Country Club. During an era of racial segregation, it became a vital hub for Black Americans, offering a space for sports, recreation, and community.
The Preserve Shady Rest Committee, formed in 2013, has been spearheading efforts to restore the club, and this grant will help continue their work. Former committee chairperson Sylvia Hicks emphasized the importance of the site’s preservation, stating, “It’s history. Plain and simple. Period. History,” she said in a Black Enterprise magazine interview.
Shady Rest has a rich history, having hosted prominent Black athletes such as John Shippen Jr., the first Black professional golfer, and Althea Gibson, the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam title in tennis. Beyond sports, it was also an entertainment hotspot, with musicians performing at its nightclub, Villa Casanova, after their New York City shows.
Bobby Mendelson, a regular at Shady Rest, carries on a family tradition of golfing there with his 6-year-old son, Leo, a tradition he once shared with his own father. “It’s really important to the history of the town and the area,” Mendelson said while speaking with Black Enterprise magazine, adding that it holds significance in civil rights and brings pride to the community.
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, led by executive director Brent Leggs, has been highly selective in awarding preservation funds. Since its inception in 2018, the fund has invested $27 million into 304 heritage sites across the country. This year’s recipients span various states and stories, reflecting the diversity of Black heritage.
Tom Donatelli, the current chair of the Shady Rest Committee, noted to Black Enterprise magazine that the grant will be used for “engineering and architecture” restorations, particularly on the top floors of the building and the historic Villa Casanova. The ongoing efforts to preserve Shady Rest will ensure that this vital piece of Black history continues to inspire future generations.
