When Boston University women’s crew coach Holly Hatton brings someone to DeWolfe Boathouse for the first time, the first area she shows off is the women’s bathroom. It’s not that every other part of the boathouse isn’t worth bragging about, but Hatton makes the point that every element of the team’s home deserves to be shown off.
The boathouse, named after the grandparents of BU trustee Richard DeWolfe, has made life enjoyable for Hatton’s and men’s coach Rodney Pratt’s teams since opening in 1999. Both Terrier crew coaches remember BU’s previous boathouse, and they are thrilled to work in a much better facility.
“When rowers from other programs see [DeWolfe], they are in awe,” Hatton said. “In the old one when it rained, water came down through the interior walls and into one of the boat bays. In the women’s locker room, we had two toilets that normally didn’t work. It was really bad, and it was a bit of an eyesore.”
“The old boathouse was falling down and heading toward the river,” Pratt said. “The floors were all caving in, which was pretty scary.”
Located on the Cambridge side of the Charles River, the new boathouse — which features a red, yellow, white and green exterior – is far from an eyesore. DeWolfe was designed by Cambridge Architectural Resources, the same company that renovated Princeton University’s boathouse. BU’s state-of-the-art facility has already captured architectural awards.
“It is obviously one of the nicest facilities on the river,” said BU Director of Athletics Mike Lynch. “It provides a great representation of BU.”
“It is amazing architecturally and makes our daily workouts a pleasure,” Hatton said.
The interior of the facility is just as impressive as its exterior. Upon entering the boathouse, visitors walk into a wide-open room that the Terriers use as a workout area. Rowing machines – some of which sit in front of windows overlooking the Charles – line the wooden floors, and framed photos of championship squads and past teams deck the walls.
An old wooden shell hangs above the stairs leading down to the dock, and some of the lights are shaped like oars. There is also a second floor that features a balcony with additional workout machines overlooking the river and Boston skyline.
“The main room is a pretty fantastic space because it is so large and open. It really has a sense of peace about it,” Hatton said. “We call it the great room.”
The stairways to the dock level feature more team photos, and the boat bays are located at the bottom of the stairs. The boat racks hold 68 shells, with the men’s and women’s shells located on different sides of the floor. The boat bays are heated so team members can enter a warm boathouse after spending hours on the water.
The wide, wooden dock provides a view of such Boston landmarks as the Citgo sign and Prudential Building as well as most of BU’s campus. The dock slants slightly toward the water, a feature many docks lack.
“We are very lucky the boathouse is on the river and not set on a high bank,” Hatton said. “When we are on the dock we only have a short step down to the water, while other boathouses have a significant drop and you go down at a steep angle. During the winter that is very scary.”
“The flat dock allows us to rig boats and clean them down much easier,” Pratt said.
The new and improved boathouse has not only made day-to-day life easier for the coaches and rowers, but it has also raised the bar for what is expected of BU’s crew programs.
“In the time that I have been here, we have made it pretty clear to everyone that we want to continue to improve our crew teams to where we are recognized nationally for our success,” Lynch said. “The women’s side has been able to make the NCAA [Tournament] a few times, and we want to see them get to the NCAAs more often.
“We would like to see the men compete with the Harvards of the world. We are not totally there yet, but we are moving in the right direction,” Lynch added.
The primary reason for the teams’ increased expectations is the belief that DeWolfe Boathouse should help the Terriers attract some of the top rowers in the country. Hatton and Pratt both recognize that the boathouse boosts BU’s chances of landing blue-chip recruits.
“Our boathouse certainly helps with recruiting,” Hatton said. “It sure doesn’t turn people away.”
“When people come to visit for recruiting, they go, ‘Whoa, this is pretty nice,'” Pratt said.
The new boathouse has also made life easier for organizers of the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta, which uses DeWolfe Boathouse as its starting point. In its eight-year existence, DeWolfe has satisfied all parties involved, and should be an essential part of the BU crew experience for years to come.
“Even after eight years, I still walk in and go, ‘Wow!'” Pratt said. “It is probably a boathouse that will be around for 150 years.”