Preakness Hills Country Club

Preakness Hills Country Club was founded in 1926 by a group of eight local businessmen. It sits in the Preakness section of Wayne, New Jersey, a name drawn from the thoroughbred racehorse for which the middle leg of the Triple Crown is also named.

The club's grounds carry a long history. The land was farmed for generations by the Campbell family before being purchased in 1921 by Harriet Z. Frew, who built a large residence and installed a wrought-iron fence, portions of which still stand along Ratzer Road. After the house burned in 1922, Frew promptly erected the building that serves as the clubhouse today, constructed of concrete, steel and marble in an effort to make it as fireproof as possible. Colorful legends have long circulated about an earlier clubhouse dating to the late 1880s, though the documented history is more straightforward.