The Chatham Granite Club is an historic curling club in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Downtown Chatham on William Street North.
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History
The Chatham Granite was founded in 1862 as the Chatham Curling Club. For the first 30 years, the club played on the Thames River. In 1892, they settled at the club's current location, and a new building was built in 1903. Artificial ice was installed in 1929 when the curling rink was remodeled into a skating, hockey and curling arena. In 1939, the club was renovated into just a curling rink. It has five sheets of curling ice, has lockers on the main level and has a lounge upstairs that has been newly refurbished.
The Chatham Granite Club site was originally purchased from the crown on May 17, 1802, by William Forysth and has been utilized for many purposes by many owners since then. Upon its inception in 1862, The Chatham Curling Club used the Thames River for an ice surface. The Chatham Curling Club purchased the old malt property located on the current site in 1892 and converted it into a curling and skating rink. In 1903, a new building was erected for the game of curling and other community events. In 1929, The Chatham Arena Limited remodeled the curling rink into an arena with artificial ice for public skating, curling and amateur hockey games. During the next ten years the Chatham Skating Club and such local hockey teams as The Chatham Maroons, The Sterling Imperials and Queens AC used the facility located at 41 William Street North.
In 1939, The Chatham Arena Limited was condemned and it was purchased on August 8, 1939, for $3,300 by a committee headed by Peter Gilbert Sr., and with the help of community-minded individuals the building was renovated and converted to its current function as a curling club. Further renovations and additions during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s created the present structure of the Chatham Granite Club.
Currently the facility is used seven days a week from October through April by the Chatham Granite Club’s 275 active members as well as various members of the community for curling as well as business meetings and other social functions. Membership includes school-aged children, adults and seniors.
Success
The Chatham Granite Club has sent two teams to the Brier, in 1949 and 1953 when Peter Gilbert won the Provincial championships.
The club was the first winner of The Dominion Curling Club Championships (men's division) in 2009.