“Rolling Rock Club Black Velvet Slippers Hand Made in England” Sz: 10 The Cary Collection

Itz A Stitch

Rolling Rock Club was originally 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) of land owned by Judge Thomas Mellon, who left it to his son Richard Beatty Mellon, brother of Andrew Mellon and onetime president of Mellon Bank. Richard Beatty Mellon turned Rolling Rock into a rural retreat for his friends and family to hunt, fish, and ride. From this it steadily developed into an establishment that, in addition to the usual country club necessities — swimming pool and golf course — also boasted stocked trout streams, duck ponds, game birds and shooting ranges. The Club also kept a pack of English fox hounds, raising pheasants, and running the Gold Cup Steeplechase (from 1933 until 1983). R.B. Mellon left the estate to his son, Richard King Mellon, when he died in 1933. In the middle years of the twentieth century, Rolling Rock Club hunted over 75,000 acres (30,000 ha), mostly owned by 240 farmers whose acres surround the Mellon 18,000 acres.

Currently, Rolling Rock is the most exclusive country club in Pennsylvania

The golf course at Rolling Rock Club in Laughlintown, Pennsylvania, was designed by Donald Ross and was built as a nine hole course in 1917. The club opened nine new holes, designed by Brian Silva, in May 1997. The course totals 6,176 yards from the back tees. With only two water hazards in the form of environmentally sensitive areas, there are plenty of sand bunkers. The greens are undulating, and the fairways are tree lined.

The Hunt Stables were designed by Pittsburgh architect Benno Janssen and originally built in 1921 to house 28 stalls, a tack room, veterinarian’s area, grooms’ quarters, food storage, equipment rooms and a great round room where trophies and ribbons were displayed. With an intent to preserve the landmark of its heritage, in 1984 the building was converted into private condominiums, preserving as much of the existing architecture as possible. Every unit has its own entrance, individual identity and is autonomous with respect to neighboring units. Vestibules and fenestrated entrance hall additions were designed to increase area to an average of 2,400 square feet (220 m2) per unit. The private resort also features overnight accommodations.