The Tennis Club

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1:00PM-2:00PM MLP Tennis Club

Lecture by Kathie Smith 

Town Hall

As a history major in college, educator, and a published non-fiction author, Katharine “Kathie” Smith has always been intrigued with her family background as a 5th generation summer and full-time resident of Mountain Lake Park. Her ancestors from Wheeling, West Virginia, Elijah James Stone, and his wife Elisabeth Thomas Stone, were the foundation of the family being a part of the history in this Appalachian community.

Devout Methodists supportive of the Chautauqua movement growing out of Wheeling, Kathie’s ancestors traveled by horse and carriage each year to settle in for the summer – Elijah commuting by train on workdays. Stone Cottage, constructed in 1884, was one of several he built in Mountain Lake Park during the height of the Chautauqua movement. When able, their four sons and three daughters (ages 17 to 34) would accompany them to their mountaintop family cottage for relief from the heat as well as religious learning.

At the Victorian Chautauqua, Kathie will recall the rich heritage of tennis in ‘the Park’ that all began well before she was born. She will also reflect on her many years both visiting and living in Mountain Lake Park, her love for the sport of tennis, combined with the historical perspective of her family’s connection with the Mountain Lake Park Tennis Club, Inc.

“I am fortunate to live in our summer house purchased in 1911 by my great-grandfather and Elijah’s third of four sons, Edward Llewellyn Stone. I have always been interested in the relationship my family had with Mountain Lake Park, benefiting from the tennis and living in what I consider to be a perfect environment,” says Kathie.

Her first time in Garrett County was at 9 months of age. Twenty-six years later, her husband, Manning, and she were thrilled to become year-round residents and be able to rear their children in the Park community.

During the 1950s and early 60s when Kathie was just a youngster, she often visited The Gables, a single-board cottage, on the corner of Oak and G Streets. Each generation has added its mark to the house. It sits on an expansive sloping lot above the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tracks that once transported vacationers by the thousands to the Park. Over time, Kathie has maintained the home’s historic appeal enhanced by an array of gardens, nooks of greenery, and paths she continuously tends and nurtures.

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A Family Affair

The cluster of homes on the corner of Oak and G Streets housed the Stone families. Sumner Stone Cottage, Stone Cottage, and The Gables with The Haunt guest quarters (red roofs) kept everyone close by through the summer months.

The property includes an old carriage house that provided the “two-seater” and became a guest cottage in the 50s. Kathie spent much of her time with her sister Barbara and their friends in what her mother and aunt dubbed “The Haunt.” Diagonally across the intersection from her family’s home, her great aunts, Nell and Blanche Davis lived in the original ancestral home, Stone Cottage. The pair of spinsters had grown up in Jamestown, NY, and would tell the young girls tales of their travels around the area as well as from Jamestown to Mountain Lake Park each summer.

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Summers to Remember

“They entertained me often with taffy pulls and Mahjong and captured my attention with their stories of carriage rides, croquet, day-long trips to picnic at Dolly Sods, and of course, tennis.”

When Kathie’s parents left for Wheeling after a visit, she would sometimes remain across the street with her great-aunts until her parents returned. Playing Mahjong, pulling taffy, and tennis were her favorite activities while staying at Stone Cottage. Occasionally, visits by third cousins from New England were an unanticipated bonus.

Mountain Lake Park’s oldest remaining activity began as the Tennis Club under the auspices of the Women’s Club. As Kathie presents her lecture, guests will learn about the evolution of Mountain Lake Park’s historical tennis tournament. She credits the social activities, generous donations, and sponsors for the survival of these iconic traditions. She also notes that dedicated players and those who love to preserve historical sights have helped since the beginning. Currently, MLPTC, Inc. is most thankful to their major sponsors, Stuck Enterprises, Ellen, Dick, and Steve Stuck, and Oakland Oil and Propane.

During a time when tennis courts were first being introduced in the United States, families who visited Mountain Lake Park all summer long were mostly women and their children, while many of the husbands commuted by train from home and work. Tennis, being a sport that fit into the strict religious social structure of the Park, would have appealed to women who spearheaded activities for their families. Husbands would likely have financially supported their wives’ efforts to help the founding members grow this increasingly popular form of recreation.  

As the years went by, the events in the tournament expanded to include a wide range of age groups underscoring how it can become a lifelong sport enjoyed by many. In today’s United States Tennis Association (USTA), sanctioned tournaments reach all ages. Tournaments run from open events up to 80 and 90-year-old competitions with no limit to an age beyond.

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A Well-Funded Activity

Those who came to the Park at the beginning of the 20th century had the financial means to support and grow the Tennis Club and the yearly tournaments. In the same way, today’s year-round and part-time residents see value in continuing this enduring sport in Garrett County that dates back to Mountain Lake Park’s founding years.

In the United States, some of the first tennis clubs began forming in the 1880s and many were year-round organizations unlike the one in Mountain Lake Park. Most homeowners in the Park shuttered their unheated summer cottages for nine months of the year to avoid the harsh winters and substantial snowfalls. The original clay courts would fall silent along with the neighborhoods until the warmer weather and the summer residents returned. Although most homes in Mountain Lake Park are now full-time residences, the courts remain seasonal, much the same as they were 100 years or more ago.

After WWII, the Tennis Club hosted tournaments that grew to over 100 participants and thirteen or more entries. Private courts were always available to accommodate players that began the expansion of the entry numbers.

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Surviving With Love

In order to keep the tradition thriving, it is important for the current Director Members of the club to maintain a close relationship with the USTA, according to Kathie. This, she says, will ensure the tennis club can continue a sanctioned tournament attracting ranked players.

Many shifts in the USTA’s programs and sanctioning processes have occurred over the last 20 years requiring the club to adhere to their ever-changing yearly updates and rules. Most of the changes incorporate technological advancements and local competitive club play.

“We have had to adapt yearly to the technology,” says Kathie. “More recently, we have begun working with several social media outlets thanks to our ‘younger’ and talented new residents interested in the historical value and tradition of the clay courts.”

The disadvantage for the Mountain Lake Park Tennis Club is that it doesn’t fit the mold of other tennis clubs around the country. According to Kathie, “We are an anachronism but hopefully, we can continue to adapt to the 21st century.”

As the 100th anniversary of the sanctioned tournament draws near in 2021, the level of play is what Kathie finds most exciting; and it’s right in her own backyard. There are larger tournaments, she admits, but not with comparable social gatherings at homes where spectators can interact with the players. An added bonus is that the matches are free to the public with one social event that requires a small compensation. 

Despite the remote location, what drew people to Mountain Lake Park nearly 150 years ago seems to persist. The original calls of cool, clean mountain air and a return to nature seduces travelers wanting to escape their complicated lives. Once a player enters the courts of red clay that still stain summer whites, the call is apparently too hard to resist. Let the games begin!

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