Our History

The organization meeting for the Rotary Club of Old Saybrook was held on November 1, 1926 in the Odd Fellow Hall in Essex, sponsored by the Middletown Rotary Club. Towns included in proposed charter were Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme and Westbrook. Weekly meetings were scheduled at the Pease House, on Bridge Street at Saybrook Point.

The presenting of the Charter by the then District Governor, was held on May 18, 1927. Twenty Charter Members were present including: Rev. Riley B. Montgomery from Centerbrook, Charles A. Pelton and Charles G. Swan from Clinton, Lucius H. Biglow, Simon R. LaPlace, Dr. Francis Larson, Carl W. Maddocks and Oliver I. Markham from Deep River, Harry R. Barnes, A. D. W. Chalker, Dr. Charles C. Davis, George M. Hall, John S. Rankin and Morton C. Tiley from Essex, Joel M. Beard and Fred S. Chapman from Old Saybrook, and William R. Bushnell, Oliver H. Chalker, John A. Hobrook and Gilbert H. Spencer form Westbrook.

The Club continued to grow in numbers until the fall of 1928 when the Clinton members withdrew and joined the newly formed Guilford, Madison and Clinton Rotary Club. In 1954 that club split into three clubs, one in each town.

During the fifties three new clubs were formed in the area, Deep River Club in 1950, the Essex Club in 1955, and the Chester Club in 1957. The Saybrook Club lost several and conscientious members to each of the new clubs and as a result, in 1957, the Club was renamed the Old Saybrook Rotary Club, representing the towns of Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook.