Fencers Club

The Fencers Club in Midtown, Manhattan, New York City, is the oldest fencing club in the Western Hemisphere. It is a member of the Metropolitan Division of the U.S. Fencing Association. Established in Manhattan in 1883, it has evolved into a 501(c)3 not-for-profit fencing organization dedicated to fencing and community service. It has produced numerous National Champions and Olympians.
History.
The Fencers Club was founded in 1883 by Charles de Kay and other New Yorkers. One had to be in the "Social Register" to be a member. Its first fencing master was Captain Hippolyte Nicolas, a French officer who had fought in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, who was partial to the Italian school of fencing.
In 1892 it had about 200 members. In 1902 annual dues at the club were $30 ($ in current dollar terms). In 1914, one third of its members were women. Rene Pinchart, a Belgian sergeant major in World War I, was fencing master at the club from 1927 to 1955. French-American Michel Alaux was fencing master of the club from 1956 until 1974.
In 2012, the Fencers Club became only the ninth organization to be recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as a Community Olympic Development Program (CODP), for its innovative and world-class programs that embody the Olympic ideals.
The Fencers Club is located in the Midtown, Manhattan neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The facility includes 22 full-length metal grounded training strips with electronic scoring equipment, as well as an in-house pro shop and armory.
The Fencers Club is the birthplace and home of the Peter Westbrook Foundation.