New Brunswick Boathouse Reflects 'Beauty of the Sport'

The days of storing boats underneath the I-95 bridge are over.

 

Since its founding in 1998 — when the Brunswick rowing team struggled to find a ninth rower to round out a boat — the program has lived and breathed without an adequate boathouse, operating out of the basement garage of a small office building and a trailer on the same site.

 

Somehow, someway, though, the nascent program quickly grew in both excellence and prestige under the guidance of experienced coach Joseph Falco.

 

With a squad of more than 55 boys in fall and spring programs, Brunswick rowing now ranks as one of the School’s largest sports and is perennially among the top crews in New England.

 

And now the squad has a beautiful, state-of-the-art boathouse to call home, thanks to the generosity and commitment of parents, past parents, alumni, and friends who wanted to provide Brunswick’s rowing team with a facility reflecting its great level of achievement.

 

Located at 91 River Road, on the banks of the Mianus River, the building is approximately 10,000 square feet and sits on a .55-acre lot.

 

The project’s cost of $3.8 million was added to the initial $100-million goal of the “Above All Else” Capital Campaign — and completed on time and on budget.

 

At a dedication ceremony on September 10, Headmaster Thomas W. Philip paid tribute to all who had a role in making the building a reality, noting how strongly competitive rowing reflects Brunswick’s philosophy.

 

“There’s so much about rowing that’s consistent with Brunswick: The incredible dedication, the steadfast commitment, and the leadership and teamwork of bringing boats in and out of the water,” Philip said.

 

“It all reflects the beauty of the sport.”

 

Falco placed the spotlight directly on the hundreds of boys who’ve put their hearts and souls into Brunswick rowing since the program’s inception.

 

“It’s on your backs and your legs on which the cornerstone of this building is placed,” the veteran coach said.

 

“If you weren’t working hard, if you didn’t exude such compassion and love for the sport, this building wouldn’t be here. All of the sweating, all of the hard work, all of the pain and triumph in winning and losing a race: It has all added up.

 

“That’s why we’re here today.”