VIGNETTE > Mill Valley Tennis Club

Tennis has always been popular in Mill Valley.  Early in the 1900s, there were nearly a dozen courts, all on private property.  The town’s first tennis club, the Eastland Tennis Club, held tournaments at Redwood Lodge.  In 1919, the Mill Valley Tennis Club was formed.  It purchased one of the private courts and had the use of another.  In the 1920s, members were experiencing increasingly long waits for a court.  One of the members, Dr. Samuel Weiss, decided to purchase land for his own court.  In June 1929, club members purchased an adjacent site and signed contracts for the construction of 3 tennis courts plus another court for Dr. Weiss whose court became part of the club after his death. Funds for purchase of the land and construction of the courts came from sales of 50 memberships at $150.00 each.   The clubhouse was financed by a long-term loan repaid through members’ dues that were initially set at $1.50 per month per playing member. The stock market crash of October 1929 failed to deter the dedicated founders.  In 1930, the Mill Valley Tennis club, with nearly 100 members, hosted a successful exhibition match featuring four nationally ranked players.  The clubhouse was built in 1931.