Boathouse Row is an historic siteA historic site is a location where pieces of history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have escalated to national historic site status.historic site located in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe city of Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Philadelphia County. It is colloquially referred to as "the City of Brotherly Love" (from Greek: Φιλαδέλφεια, ...Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of a row of boathousescategory:House types de:Bootshaus no:Naust nn:Naustboathouses housing racing shellsRowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on river, lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race & the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water. The sport can be both recreational, focusing on learning the techniques required, ...shells, on the east bank of the Schuylkill RiverThe Schuylkill River, most often pronounced "SKOO-kull" (IPA: ), is a river in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River. The river is approximately 130 miles (209 km) long. Its watershed of around 2000 square miles (5,000 km²) lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch starts in the Appalachian ...Schuylkill River. Each of the ten boathouses has its own history, and all have addresses on Kelly DriveA winding four-mile road along the Schuylkill River from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the neighborhood of East Falls, Philadelphia where it connects with Lincoln Drive. Formerly known as "East River Drive," it was renamed to "Kelly Drive" in honor of John B. Kelly, Jr., the brother of Grace Kelly. Along Kelly Drive is a multi-use recreational trail that is part of Fairmount Park. category:Streets in PhiladelphiaKelly Drive (named after famous Philadelphia oarsman John B. Kelly, Jr.John Brenden Kelly, Jr. (born May 24, 1927 in Philadelphia – died May 2, 1985 in Philadelphia), also known as Kell Kelly or Jack Kelly, was an accomplished oarsman, a four-time Olympian, and an Olympic medal winner. He was also the son of triple Olympic gold medal winner John B. Kelly, Sr. In 1947, Kelly was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United ...John B. Kelly, Jr.). The boathouses are part of a group known as the Schuylkill NavyThe Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States. It was founded in 1858. The member clubs of the Navy are all located on the Schuylkill River where it flows through Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, with most of the clubs being located on the historic Boathouse ...Schuylkill Navy, which encompasses several other boathouses along the river.

The group also hosts several major rowingRowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on river, lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race & the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water. The sport can be both recreational, focusing on learning the techniques required, and competitive ...rowing regattasAlthough regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually very highly organized, formally structured events, with complex rules precisely describing the schedule and procedures of the event. Regattas may be organized as championships for a particular area or type of boat, but are often held just for the joy of competition, camaraderie, and general ...regattas, including the Dad Vail RegattaThe Dad Vail Regatta, held annually on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the USA, drawing over a hundred colleges and universities from North America. The purposes of the Dad Vail Rowing Association are: "to perpetuate the 'Dad' Vail tradition, foster and encourage intercollegiate rowing among colleges new to the ...Dad Vail Regatta, Stotesbury CupThe Stotesbury Cup Regatta, sponsored by the Schuylkill Navy, is "the world's oldest and largest high school rowing competition."http://www.philly.com/ inquirer/sports/high_school/20070513_Sto tesbury_expecting_record_field.html It is held annually in mid-May over a two-day period along the Schuylkill River near Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although there is no official U.S. national high school rowing championship, Stotesbury is certainly one of the most prestigious. Competing crews come ...Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the Navy Day Regatta, the Independence Day Regatta, and the Head of the Schuylkill.

The boathouses are seen as centers of the rowing community around the United States. Rowers from the boathouses compete at every level, from local clubs, high school and college programs, summer racing programs to international-level athletes.

In 1979, lights, designed by architectural lighting designer Raymond Grenald, were installed to outline each of the boathouses, giving them a nightly Christmas-like gingerbread-house appearance and reflecting beautifully in the Schuylkill River . He was inspired to propose the lights after hearing that there had been talk of destroying the decaying Victorian boathouses. Lights on the buildings at night would serve to make them more noticed and appreciated. In 2005, after two refurbishings, the houses were outfitted with computerized LEDsA light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent narrow-spectrum light when electrically biased in the forward direction of the p-n junction. This effect is a form of electroluminescence. An LED is usually a small area source, often with extra optics added to the chip that shapes its radiation pattern . ...LEDs that can light up in various colors, depending on the event or season.

Boathouse Row is a National Historic Landmark and was entered onto the National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. The National Register was established in 1966 with the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Out of the over one million properties on the ...National Register of Historic Places in 1987.