The District Yacht Club prides itself in maintaining the original railway and workshop which have continued in use for decades. The property also includes a clubhouse, which was a former barracks purchased from the Army, and a modest steward’s cottage.  In the years before 1950, the area occupied by the District Yacht Club was a nondescript boat yard known as the District Boat Company. It was operated by Mr. Warbock and subsequently by the Brightenburg family.

About 1950 Ed Darnell organized a group to form the District Yacht Club. Among those who helped to organize the club were Clarence Boss, Dick Mower, George Miller, Otto Pfleger, Linwood Printz, Will Slater, Perry Herbert, Wayne Bauman, Walter Norris, Mac Demet, two Robinson brothers and Sam Merando. Otto Pfleger was appointed Commodore at this time followed by Perry Herbert and Sam Merando.

Around 1952 the working boat yard closed and the District Yacht Club took over the property in its entirety. In 1955 the group became chartered and incorporated.  In July 1962 the District of Columbia turned over the property to the National Park Service.  In 2008, DYC was transferred back to the District of Columbia. The members of DYC have worked diligently to upgrade and expand the facilities over the last half century. Safety being our highest priority, we have established safety programs, training and self-inspections to assure our members are well informed.

District Yacht Club has always been a working yacht club. With this as a part of our makeup, each member is expected to work a certain number of work hours per month to help maintain the facility and grounds. Therefore, membership and slip fees are set lower than average due to the reduction in operation cost. This design has appealed to the working middle class who possess the passion for boating but often could not comfortably afford the usual high membership fees offered by other yacht clubs or marinas.

DYC is active in the boating community. Memberships include: Potomac River Yacht Club Association (PRYCA), Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club Association (CBYCA), and the DC Clean Marina Program. We open our club to mariner-related association meetings such as PRYCA, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and have hosted the Clean Marina Workshop the past few years. We also participate in and make a donation to the annual Anacostia Earth Day Cleanup each spring.  DYC is also a proud member of the Historical Anacostia Boating Association (HABA), an organization of boat clubs that previously was known as 'Boathouse Row'.  We are the District Yacht club, and for us, the river starts here.

Commodores of District Yacht Club - Past to Present