Cincinnati, Ohio can scratch off another storied and historical site, disguised under the veil of progress: the Friars’ Club.
Cincinnati, Ohio can scratch off another storied and historical site, disguised under the veil of progress.
The demolition of the Friars’ Club property at Ohio Avenue and McMillian Street in Clifton Heights, near the University of Cincinnati, has been a structure I’ve long overlooked. Abandoned since 2006, the four-level imposing brick building was the home of a non-profit social service organization that was dedicated to serving at-risk and disadvantaged children through organized sports, activity, nutrition and fitness.
The organization was formed in 1860 when it was known as the St. Anthony Sodality for Young Men, and was later known as the Friars’ Gymnasium and Athletic Club by November 1908. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the only facilities of its type operated solely by a religious order. The Club operated out of the former Saint Francis school in Over-the-Rhine at 1610 Vine Street, and over time, an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and library was constructed. But by the mid-1920s, the property was showing its age. The population was shifting up the hill towards Clifton Heights, and the school was just becoming outdated and too small. In early 1928, the decision was made to relocate.
The decision was an easy one: Large donations were received to help build the new structure, and a large lot was donated by Dr. Paul DeCoursey. The property included a three-story building, which was used as a temporary home until the new structure was completed.
Ground was broken on May 18, 1930 and the new Friars’ Club was completed on May 17 of the following year. A dedication took place on October 18 and festivities were held for a week in celebration of the new home. Handball courts, a bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool and a gymnasium were some of the amenities featured, along with boarding rooms.
Over time, the Club established a boating club in Dayton, Kentucky along the Ohio River, a summer camp near Milford, Ohio along the Little Miami River and a retreat house.
In 1941, Lumen Martin Winter, a noted muralist who lived at the Friars’ Club, began work on a set of murals that depicted industry, music, religion and literature in the residents’ lounge. For four years, Winter worked on the murals, although his work was interrupted for 18 months while he was enlisted as a chief artist illustrator for the Signal Corps under the Air Force. The murals were dedicated on November 12, 1944.
The Friars Club was known as the organization that put Cincinnati on-the-map in amateur basketball. Basketball greats, such as Frank Wilberding, Joe Schoettmer, Harry Janszen, Joe Scheve, among many others, played at the Friars and brought welcomed attention to not only the club, but to the city.
On June 30, 2006, the Friars Club relocated from the 60,000-square-foot structure to 2316 Harrywood Court, citing a lack of space and high maintenance costs. Demolition began on May 1, 2010 on the 80-year-old former Friars Club location, which is being replaced with a gated apartment community for University of Cincinnati college students will replace the imposing brick castle-like building, and will consist of 129 units in five three-story buildings. Construction is slated for completion by late summer 2011 and will be certified as a LEED site.
But the demolition of a significant and contributing structure to Cincinnati’s history leaves me wondering. Is federal funding, via the Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grant, being used to demolish the Friars’ Club? If so, did the city pursue a review of the site, per Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act? And how does demolishing a large, reinforced-concrete structure, which was in great condition, be environmentally friendly, especially when the developer is seeking LEED status?
Progress doesn’t need to happen at the expanse of our treasured historic sites. This building was well salvageable and stable, and it could have been repurposed into student housing in ways that today’s cheap steel-and-wood-framed structures can never achieve.
Good job, Cincinnati.
3 Comments
Add Yours →I swam there during the very late 70s, up until my son was born in September 1981. I had to arrive early because I was so pregnant that I looked like a whale in a speedo. The night watchman – I think his name was Gary – would “lifeguard” by leaving the intercom on in the pool. We agreed that if I stopped splashing for any length of time, he could assume that I needed to be rescued.
THIS IS TOTALLY A DISCRACE, WHY DIDN’T ANYONE RAISE THE MURALS FROM THE WALLS IN THE LIBRARY WHY WHY…….. WHERE HAVE MY HALF BROTHER ANS SISTER BEEN DURING ALL THIS, THE MURAL WAS WORTH A LIFE TIME FORTUNE …… MY FAMILY WHAT A TOTAL DISCRACE , WHY DIDN’T THE CINCINNATI ART ACADEMY AND ART MUESUM STEP IN ….. MY FATHER HAS PROBABLY ROLLED ,ANY TIMES IN HIS GRAVE … (HE HAS BEEN DEAD NOW 35 YEARS THIS MONTH) AND WHY DIDN’T THE GOOD FATHERS AT THE FRAIRS CLUB CONTACT ME AS TO THE GOING’S ON THEY KNEW I HAD MOVED TO DENVER COLORADO FOR MY JOB WITH SUNDSTRAN ATO, SOME ONE CONTACT ME TIDYTHOM75a@OUTLOOK.COM . I AM MY FATHERS FIRST BORN SON NOW 74 YEARS OLD STUCK HERE IN A DESERT ……. THANK YOU ! LUMEN MARTIN WINTER (THOM)
Thank you for the history of this building. As an incoming UC grad student, I visited the campus in March and April, but was there for such a short time that I don't remember noticing this building. I saw its remains when returned this past weekend and decided to research what had been lost. Despite it's imposing and bulky nature, I agree that it could have made for interesting residences. And if the current building didn't have enough space, there was open land to it's north and south where additional housing could have been built.
The thing is, that in the end demolition with new construction probably really is going to be less expensive than rehabilitation. It would have taken considerable effort to convince the developer to save the building. maybe some sort of historic tax credit would have helped.
As far LEED ratings go, the system currently does not consider the demolition of existing buildings in the process (although projects do get extra points for reusing existing materials and structures). However, you are not the first one that I have heard question the logic in demolishing a perfectly sound building to build a new green one. I would say that this is one area where the LEED point system (as well as local governments) could use some reform.