Middle Bass Club Stories
Historical Essay Chapel Story Veteran Biographies
Artifacts Club Grounds Documents Guests Maps Members Portraits
This archive contains photographs of the Middle Bass Club including the original Club House, Club Member cottages, the Club Boat House and docks, the “new” Club House, the Chapel and Rehberg Hall (which is located just outside of the Middle Bass Club but it is where Club Members socialized). We attempted to list the photographs in chronological order; at the end there are a few current photographs of the Middle Bass Club from the Historical Essay. This “original post” of the archive is dated: July 2021; the date of additions to this archive will be noted here so viewers can check for new content.
Early Photographs (1870s-1940s)
Middle Bass Club House:(Original). Built in 1874. Picture was taken mid 1870's after an addition was added. Later this was called "Club Cottage" and moved to William Rehberg's Lots 36 & 37 to house "overflow" Club Members and Guests.
Middle Bass Club House (Original) and first cottages. Southern end of Grape Avenue with Original Club House from 1874 with outbuildings on right side.
Middle Bass Club Boat House. Circa 1875.
Middle Bass Club: Berdan Cottage on the corner of Rehberg Avenue and Grape Avenue. William Henry Harrison and the Berdan Family are on the front porch. Rutherford B Hayes may also be there?.
Original Middle Bass Club and first member cottages. Photo taken between 1877 and 1881.
Member cottages along Lake Avenue and Grape Avenue. Photo taken before 1881 (ca. 1879) when the first cottage was moved from Grove Avenue to Grape Avenue.
Middle Bass Club House. Architect E.O. Fallis. Second Club House, built in 1882.
Middle Bass Club House, note the beautiful porch.
Middle Bass Club House with members standing on Grove Avenue. Picture is taken from the Boat House looking north. Source: Lisa Fine Collection
Middle Bass Club House showing members in rocking chairs enjoying the lake breeze on the lawn. Source: Lisa Fine Collection
Middle Bass Club House and Cottages. Winter view.
Middle Bass Club House. Main Lounge. Note the love seats that face opposite ways which allowed for private conversations.
Interior of Middle Bass Club House.
Middle Bass Club House. Main Lounge.
Middle Bass Club House. Reception Desk and Lounge. Note the gas chandeliers and staircase to rooms all of which faced Lake Erie. Members and their guests had to sign in on a Guest Registry book when entering the Middle Bass Club.
Middle Bass Club House, after 1881.
Middle Bass Club House, after 1881.
Middle Bass Club Grounds: Outbuildings and Club House. Ca. 1891
Middle Bass Chapel, Architect: E.O. Fallis. Located in William Rehberg's 2nd Addition, Lot 45. Dedicated on July 4, 1882 with the first church service held on July 8, 1882. From the Chapel Committee records book: "The need of a Chapel, on Middle Bass Island having been recognized by many members of the Middle Bass Club, a meeting of persons interested in the erection of such a building, to be used for religious and literary purposes - was held at the cottage of Mrs. D. H. Mears on the 10th day of August - 1881..."
Related Exhibit: The Middle Bass Club Chapel Story
Middle Bass Club Boat House with a Band Pavilion on top. View from Lake Erie looking north, water tower and Club House are in the background.
Middle Bass Boat House and Bandstand. Picture looking west toward the Club "Park."
Middle Bass Club Dock, Club House and Member Cottages.
Members on the Middle Bass Club dock. Ca. 1885.
Middle Bass Club Dock.
Middle Bass Boat House and cottages along Lake Avenue. Ca. 1882
Middle Bass Club cottages along Lake Avenue.
Middle Bass Club Cottages. Corner of Toledo Avenue and Grove Avenue.
Middle Bass Club Member cottages. Along Grape Avenue?
Middle Bass Club Member cottages. Along Grape Avenue?
Middle Bass Club: Cottages on the corner of Rehberg Avenue and Grape Avenue. The 2 cottages on the right side on Rehberg Avenue belonged to the Berdan families.
Rehberg's Hall, circa 1891. Built by William "Count" Rehberg who sold the land to the Toledo and Lake Erie Boating and Fishing Association.
Rehberg Hall is just east of the Middle Bass Club grounds and it's where Club members socialized.
Rehberg Hall. Interior bar.
Stage and "cast" at Rehberg Hall. Ca. 1891
Interior of Rehberg Hall, bar is to the right and stage is to the left. Ca. 1891
Postcard of the Middle Bass Boat House and dock with the Club house in the background and outbuildings (water tower, pump house) to the west.
Ca. 1892. Source: Lisa Fine Collection
Middle Bass Club. Ca. 1893
Middle Bass Club cottage and smaller Boat House on north side of Grape Avenue. Photo taken before 1898 (ca. 1895)
Johnston's Orchestra of Cleveland, Ohio. They played during the summer at the Middle Bass Club from 1900 to 1914.
Fountain. Located at the corner of Grape Avenue and Rehberg Avenue, William Rehberg's 1st Addition, Lot 14. Looking north with a Berdan cottage pre 1901 in the background.
Middle Bass Club Grounds: Water Tower & Pump House, after 1900.
Middle Bass Club House in background and member cottages in front. Looking west into the Middle Bass Club.
The cottage and partial cottage on the right are no longer standing. Photo taken before 1905 (ca. 1904)
Middle Bass Club: Lawn tennis courts, approx. 1905? Negative appears to be flipped based on the location of the cottages and courts according to the 1905 Sanford Fire Map.
View of Middle Bass Club lawn tennis court (between Rehberg Avenue and Toledo Avenue on Grove Avenue) and the rebuilding of a Berdan cottage.
Circa 1905. Source: Lisa Fine Collection
Middle Bass Club: Rodgers Cottage which burned on September 2, 1909. It was located on Rehberg's original lot 3 on the corner of Lake Avenue & Grape Avenue. Courtesy of Judy Behney
Middle Bass Club cottage fire. Source: Lisa Fine Collection
Middle Bass Club showing remnants of a cottage that burned. Circa 1909
Middle Bass Club: Rodgers Cottage which burned in 1909. It was located on Rehberg's original lot 3 on the corner of Lake Avenue & Grape Avenue. Courtesy of Judy Behney
Middle Bass Club: Rodgers Cottage which burned in 1909. It was located on Rehberg's original lot 3 on the corner of Lake Avenue & Grape Avenue. Courtesy of Judy Behney
Middle Bass Club: Fire destroys a cottage in 1909. Looking on Lake Avenue.
Middle Bass Club postcard of member cottages, circa 1910.
Middle Bass Club's dock and member cottages. After 1909.
Middle Bass Club Grounds: Lawn Tennis Court, circa 1915. The street is Grove Avenue.
Middle Bass Club Dock, circa 1916.
Middle Bass Club House. Circa 1940. Source: Dr. Martin Taliak Collection
Middle Bass Club Dock, circa 1940s. Courtesy of Judy Behney
Recently taken photographs (2021)
First Middle Bass Club Cottage, as it looks today in 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Middle Bass Club House foundation pieces in the Grove in 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Original Middle Bass Club Dock sections, as seen in 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Middle Bass Club Dock and Sea Wall pieces, as seen in 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Middle Bass Club Dock and Sea Wall pieces, as seen in 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Middle Bass Club walkway in 2021 leading to a cottage that once existed but decades prior it was either torn down or burned. Photograph by Marie Rader
Middle Bass Club’s Pump House in 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Sunset View from the Middle Bass Club’s Grove, 2021. Photograph by Marie Rader
Entrance to the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Entrance to the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Wine barrel at the entrance to the restored Rehberg Wine Cellar which was originally built in 1865 and restored by Henry M. Barr in 1990. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Smaller gas chandelier at the entrance of th Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Steps down into the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Interior view of the Rehberg Wine Cellar, looking at the back wall from the entrance stairs. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Interior view of the Rehberg Wine Cellar, showing the back of the cellar, chandelier and windows. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
One of two identical gas chandeliers hanging in the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Window in the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Interior view of the Rehberg Wine Cellar, showing a cutout on the side of the cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Gas? fixture located on the back wall of the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Interior view of the Rehberg Wine Cellar floor. Perhaps the blocks were used to hold the barrels of wine? Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Interior view of the Rehberg Wine Cellar, looking from the back toward the front stairs. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
Vintage wine bottles located in the Rehberg Wine Cellar. Source: Jamie & Kris Hovsepian
