The Longfellow History
Longfellow opened for business in September of 1972 with four indoor tennis courts. It was an immediate hit and grew rapidly during the tennis boom of the 1970′s adding two more indoor courts and four indoor/outdoor courts under an air structure. However, because of increased competition coupled with a decreased demand for tennis, by 1980 the membership had decreased and the club was experiencing financial challenges.
As fate would have it, also in September 1972, Laury Hammel created the largest junior program and tennis instructional business in New England at an indoor tennis club in Newton, which later moved to Watertown. Laury’s programs grew to the point where it became time to purchase a tennis club that could accommodate the remarkable growth and has expanded its programs, facilities, and locations. Longfellow is now a group of highly respected multi-purpose health and recreation clubs and is currently the fourth largest independent health club organization in New England and the fifty-sixth largest in the U.S.
We are now called The Longfellow Clubs, and include businesses at five locations in Sudbury, Wayland, and Natick as well as an affiliated business in Franklin, Ma — the Adirondack Club serving 12,000 members and an additional 10,000 clients every year. Longfellow has become a recognized industry leader in innovative business practices, social responsibility, and community service.
Longfellow is always looking to respond to needs of our community, and we have been in an almost continual construction at one location or another since 1980. Some of the highlights of Longfellow’s growth have been:
1980
Laury Hammel and Myke Farricker purchase the Longfellow Racquet Club and build the largest tennis program in New England
1984
Longfellow builds an indoor/outdoor pool and converts one indoor court into a fitness area and group exercise studio and multipurpose wood floor.
1985
Longfellow purchases the Natick Racquet Club and converts six of the indoor courts into a fitness, recreation facility,and indoor soccer center and re-names it the Longfellow Sports Club. The remaining five courts continue business under the Natick Racquet Club name.
1987
The Longfellow Sports Club in Natick converts indoor soccer area to new locker rooms and a new and expanded fitness facility.
1994
The Longfellow Sports Club constructs an indoor/outdoor aquatics center.
1998
The Longfellow Children’s Center, located across the parking lot from The Longfellow Club in Wayland, opens for business.
2000
The Longfellow Clubs partner with Bob and Suzanne Hinrichs to construct a new multipurpose recreation, fitness, and tennis facility in Franklin, MA called the Adirondack Club.
2001
The Natick Racquet Club constructs four new indoor/outdoor courts with an air structure and now has nine indoor courts.
2001
The Longfellow Club takes out one indoor tennis court and adds another indoor court under the air structure. A new fitness is built and two new squash courts are constructed.
2005
Located adjacent to the Longfellow Children’s Center in Wayland, Lumina at Longfellow opens and offers yoga, Stott Pilates, Living in Balance and Weight-Loss Programs, and a Women’s Exercise area.
2007
Lumina doubles the size by constructing a lobby and a second and larger yoga studio.
2007
In the same building as Lumina and the Children’s Center, the Zip Zone opens for business and is the first indoor tennis facility designed specifically for teaching tennis to young children ages four to ten. Zip Tennis is the most effective and easy way for young children to learn and enjoy tennis in a space that is appropriate in size, with low-compression balls, and with size-appropriate tennis rackets. The Zip Zone includes four indoor courts and eight outdoor courts.
2008
The Adirondack constructs a second bubble over its four outdoor courts bringing its total of indoor tennis courts to eight and the total of indoor tennis courts at The Longfellow Clubs to 24.
2009
The Longfellow Club constructs one of the largest solar hot water heating systems in New England.
2010
The Longfellow Club takes out its squash courts and brings back another tennis court bringing the total number of indoor courts at Wayland to eight and a total of 25 indoor tennis courts at three locations.
2012
The Natick Racquet Club remodels both Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms and The Longfellow Club remodels the Women’s Locker Rooms
2012
The Longfellow Clubs identify their Core Values and these become a compass that guides and inspires staff to attain a higher level of service, grow the Longfellow culture, and transform lives