Historic downtown building getting new lease on life through Biloxi Yacht Club
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- Biloxi Yacht Club will restore the Old Biloxi Library as its new clubhouse .
- Club plans restore Spanish‑style building and create a sailing center near the waterfront.
- Founded in 1849, the 4th‑oldest U.S. yacht club in the country.
A year ago Biloxi Yacht Club moved out of its impressive building on the beach after it was sold and has been searching for a new home ever since.
They’ve found it, the organization announced Friday, and it’s a historic property with a link to the yacht club’s past.
“It is with great excitement we officially announce the BYC has executed an agreement with the City of Biloxi to restore the Old Biloxi Library for our new clubhouse,” the group announced on Facebook.
Plans call for restoring the library to its original footprint and creating a new community sailing center within walking distance to the waterfront to host regattas, youth sailing camps, social events and enhance Biloxi’s waterfront for recreation.
The oldest civic organization in the city, Biloxi Yacht Club is celebrating its 177-year history. It was founded in 1849 to promote yachting along Biloxi and the Gulf Coast, is the 4th oldest yacht club in the United States and a founding member of Gulf Yachting Association.
The Spanish-style library at 124 Lameuse Street near the current city hall was built in 1925. It was designed by architect and BYC Past Commodore Carl Matthes. He also designed the BYC Clubhouse lost during Hurricane Camille in 1969.
It’s been a proud yet challenging history for the yacht Club. The first clubhouse was built in 1901 and destroyed in a hurricane 14 years later.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 destroyed the club’s pier and meeting place, the group built an impressive multi-story building overlooking the beach in east Biloxi.
Insurance and upkeep became more than the club could handle, and they sold the building to Harry Mohney, who is converting the former Margaritaville Casino in east Biloxi into a Hammered Harry’s entertainment venue. No plans have been announced for the former yacht club building that has a kitchen, dining room and meeting rooms in addition to decks and a swimming pool.
The sale was seen as a positive by Commodore Tim Manuel in January 2025, when he said it would be a catalyst for finding a new home and allowing the yacht club to restart their junior sailing program.
He oversaw the storage of trophies, photos and memorabilia collected over the years so they will be ready to move into the new location when the new clubhouse is ready.
