West Hartford

Fernleigh Lawn Bowling Club Celebrates 100th Anniversary

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The sport of lawn bowling dates all the way back to ancient Egypt and the sport has a long history in Connecticut as well. Not quite thousands of years, but one club in West Hartford celebrated a special milestone.

"This is the oldest club east of the Mississippi," said Fernleigh Lawn Bowling Club member and Chair of the Centennial Committee Marty Keena.

"It's one of those sports that is instantly addictive," said Fernleigh Lawn Bowling Club President John Cowan. "As soon as you roll your first bowl, you're hooked."

The Fernleigh Lawn Bowling Club started in 1923. On May 21, the club hosted a gathering to celebrate its centennial.

"You get the sense when you come down here that you are stepping into history," said Cowan. "This was a bog at one time, a swamp back in the early 1920s that was drained and turned into a lawn club."

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"To be a part of something that's historical in our hometown is fantastic," said Keena, a retired history teacher.

The Fernleigh Lawn Bowling Club has become a staple of the community that started with seven men, 100 years ago and continues to grow.

"Somehow it has survived all the trials and tribulations of history and we are here today with probably the largest membership we've ever had," said Cowan.

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