In 1903, Hampton’s boating enthusiasts founded the Virginia Yacht Club and in 1906 issued stock and erected a clubhouse on pilings at the foot of Victoria Boulevard. Interest dwindled during the Great War and the clubhouse fell into disrepair. In 1926, six men, not associated with the Virginia Yacht Club, formed the Hampton Yacht Club (HYC) and were ceded gratis the property of the old club. Since that time, HYC has been a yachting and social center of the Virginia Peninsula.