stambaugh building: week 2: late friday update

For those of you around the region and country catching up on the status of the Stambaugh Building through the blogs, here is the latest:

The Vindicator reports tonight a tentative compromise deal was hashed out Friday afternoon at City Hall:

"Louis A. Frangos, co-owner of the Stambaugh Building, agreed to a city plan to repair window sashes so windows removed from the historic structure can be put back in place.

If the windows or sashes are damaged beyond repair, Frangos will install either Plexiglas or new glass windows."

"An assessment of the 531 windows on the upper 12 floors of the 13-story building will begin Monday."

An impressive three additional stories by the Business-Journal went up within 8 hours today, one here on tax problems in Cleveland and one here and one more here outlining additional details of Friday's meeting at City Hall:

"Mayor Williams said another meeting between Frangos and the city is scheduled for next Friday to iron out final details. “We are satisfied with the direction he’s heading,” the mayor said.

Demolition of the landmark building is not an option, the mayor stated. “In the interim, we’re looking at the securitization [security] and preservation of the building.”"

Forecast tonight: severe thunderstorms

stambaugh building: week 2: friday update

Two new in-depth stories by the Business-Journal one here about the details of the Design and Review Committee meeting and one here about unpaid taxes.

and a blogpost from The Todd, editor-in-chief:

"My family helped plant flowers last weekend for the city’s StreetScape effort. The Stambaugh windows permeated the event. Physically — the fenced-off protection closed East Federal and limit access to parts of the plaza intended for work. Mentally — the gaping holes seemed to counter the mission of the day, which was to improve downtown.

At least three people — including a city councilman — asked me if The Vindicator was going to do something to fix “those windows.” It was humbling and rewarding, but also puzzling.

We’re not the city. We don’t have zoning powers the last I checked."

With another story from the Vindicator highlighting the recent Design and Review Committee Meeting here. (read the whole piece for more context)

"About 400 windows were removed from the building’s upper 12 floors. The 13-story structure has 531 windows, many of which are located inside the building next to where they used to hang, they said."

"City officials said Frangos’ companies violated a number of city laws and codes by doing the work without prior notification and approval.

Frangos said his plan is to board up the window frames with plywood and paint the wood. He also had considered putting plastic around the window frames."

stambaugh building: week 2: thursday update

It's been one week since the glass was dropped from near the top of the Stambaugh Building, crashing onto the street and sidewalk below.

- - -

A new online petition has been set up, so anyone having interest in this subject can leave their name and a comment. It requests the city to create a Landmark Structure Ordinance that bestows landmark status on selected buildings in the Central Business District, and prohibits their demolition unless they become a public safety issue.

Click here for the petition.

- - -

In other news, Wednesday afternoon the city's Design Review Committee denied the Frangos Group's request to replace the removed windows with plywood.

- - -

Finally, this letter was presented to City Hall at 3:00pm Wednesday afternoon:

Recommended Action Plan to the City of Youngtown for Stambaugh Building Stabilization

• Refrain from financially investing in the short, intermediate and long term stabilization plan as this responsibility falls solely on the Owners and not the taxpayers.
  
• Concurrently with the Short and Intermediate Term plan, appoint an ad hoc committee to study and develop a Landmark Structure Ordinance in conjunction and in concert with City Officials.
  
• Develop a timeline with milestone dates that define specific tasks and actions to be taken by the Owner on specific dates.
  
  • Develop a method of enforcement and subsequent penalties if timelines are not met or standards are not followed
    

General Procedures Required of Owner by City of Youngstown

• Follow recommended procedures which are consistent with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
  
• Secure proper approvals and permits from government agencies and pay all fees associated with permits and approvals for any future work to the building
  
• Pay any and all fines/court costs which have been assessed to date as a result of the Owner’s actions
  
• Reimburse the City of Youngstown for fencing and pedestrian barricades erected on behalf of the Owner to guard public safety.
  • Assume all costs for above for the full length of time required by the City
• Provide the City of Youngstown with a 24 hr emergency telephone number of a management service or individual who can respond to future similar issues.
  
• Retire any delinquent tax claims and or liens prior to commencement of Action Plan

Owner’s Short Term Stabilization Tasks

• Make necessary repairs to the existing building roofs to prevent water infiltration from above
  
• Guard from harm, secure and maintain in collaboration with ODNR wildlife specialists, peregrine falcon chicks, adults and nesting box from removal or damage during stabilization operations
  
• Preserve and conserve original window sash and components, which have not been discarded. Where practical retrieve same which have been stockpiled for disposal or have been place in construction dumpsters
  • Refrain from further demolition of existing windows which remain in place
• Provide weather tight temporary enclosures on each and every window opening where windows have been removed. Construct enclosures from rigid transparent materials and in such a manner as to protect in place window components from deterioration and which shed water and repel wind from entering the building. Submit design to local authorities for review from a safety standard and to bodies, which regulate aesthetic issues of such temporary enclosure. Construct an in place mock up for examination and approval by governing bodies
  
• Establish a time limit in consecutive calendar days that the temporary enclosures shall remain in place.
  • 90 – 120 days is recommended
• Schedule inspections while work is being performed and at the completion of the work on the temporary enclosures
  • Permit access to the building at all times to City Building inspectors to conduct an up close inspection of any temporary opening
• For original windows which currently remain in place, repair, replace and or affix in place with positive mechanical fasteners
  
• Before unseasonable weather arrives, heat each and every floor of the building to a minimum of 50 degrees to prevent freeze in to all fluid filled pipes and to prevent damage to plaster and wood finishes
  • Provide adequate heat from approved temporary devices in the event the central heating system of the building is decommissioned or inoperable

Owner’s Intermediate Term Stabilization Tasks

• Require the Owner to present an intermediate stabilization plan which involves a historically appropriate restoration/replication or replacement window unit on the entire structure
  • Said unit shall be submitted to the SHPO for evaluation and appropriateness of the proposed method or unit
• Require the Owner to utilize the historic sash which are suitable for reuse as a first priority remedy
  
• Devise a plan which permits a continual phased retrofit of permanent and historically appropriate and establish timelines for the restoration and remedial work
  • A twelve consecutive calendar month time period is suggested
    
  • Establish milestone dates for completion of each floor
• Schedule inspections while work is being performed and at the completion of the work on the window replacement/restoration
  • Permit access to the building at all times to City Building inspectors to conduct an up close inspection of any window
• Heat each and every floor of the building to a minimum of 50 degrees to prevent freeze in to all fluid filled pipes and to prevent damage to plaster and wood finishes
  
  • Provide adequate heat from approved temporary devices in the event the central heating system of the building is decommissioned or inoperable

Owner’s Long Term Stabilization Tasks

• After the successful completion of the Intermediate Stabilization, the Owner shall subject the structure to monthly inspections to assure the stabilization of the building has been maintained and shall perform in a timely manner any necessary repairs to maintain that stabilization.

stambaugh building: week 1: wednesday update

The now windowless Stambaugh Building in downtown's central square was a topic of debate on talk radio (listen here and here) and various blogs throughout the day.


From the MahoningValley.info message boards:

"Replacing the old Park Hotel, the Stambaugh Building [1906] started out its life as Euwers Department Store, one of the first Ohio department stores to have an in store restaurant. After the department store moved further up West Federal Street, the building was converted into an office building. Later becoming the first corporate headquarters for the Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Standard Slag."

A beautiful photo album of LadyNews500's photos of the Stambaugh Building can be found here.


A good post on the history of the building from The Youngstown Steel Heritage Preservation blog:

The building was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most important architects. It was designed in the Neo-Classical Revival style.

From the building's construction in 1906 until vacated by Youngstown Sheet and Tube in 1964, this building bore witness to the growth of what was to become the Nation's third largest steelmaker.

Meanwhile, just a block away in a similar skyscraper off of Market Street bridge was the corporate office of Republic Steel Corporation, also one of the largest steel companies in the US.

Republic moved to Cleveland in 1935, but in those years when both Republic and YS&T were both located in Youngstown, the decisions made in those two buildings shaped a good part of the development of America's steel industry."

Thanks to Jim's tireless efforts through the CleveBurgh Diaspora blog:

"St. Louis and Buffalo can echo this tragedy. This story is a dime a dozen in the Postindustrial Heartland. What I am asking is that the like-minded come together to save one building in the center of Youngstown.

There are many other architectural wonders we can reclaim throughout our mega-region, but let's make the Stambaugh Building the first collaborative effort. Then, let us make the Stambaugh Building the center of the economic revitalization of the Rust Belt."

From the Reason blog at the Youngstown Vindicator's website:

"Imagine that you're Kelly Pavlik's trainer. In the big fight, between rounds, he's got a hangnail. What do you do to ensure his safety? You'd cut off his hand, right?

This is essentially the argument made by the Frangos Group in the removal of at least one hundred windows from the historic, century-old Stambaugh building, leaving it exposed to the elements."

From a story in today's Business Journal:

"The group released a letter this morning addressed to Mayor Jay Williams that recommends the city explore forming a task force composed of business leaders, citizens and city officials to study the creation of a landmark structure ordinance.

“We have a concern about all landmark properties, such as the Stambaugh Building, the Paramount Theater and the Kress Building,” said Ronald Faniro, an architect and member of the new group.

A landmark structure ordinance would identify those buildings deemed “landmark” and create a code of high maintenance and preservation standards, he explained."

And a great post by Brookeback Mountains at the Stage at the Oakland blog:

"As Youngstown enjoys the beginning of a rennaisance, we should be looking for potential businesses to occupy these building with businesses, restaurants, offices....new economy-generating ventures. Instead, the most beautiful buildings in town are owned by the same group, and all of them are merely for rent or occupied with a distant promise of future housing...and even then, they remain vacant and untouched for years with rumors floating and multiplying.

We don't need more rumors in Youngstown. We need facts and positive action.

[The Stambaugh Building] is also the site of Party on the Plaza, a flourishing event that draws huge crowds every weekend, showcases talented local musicians, and donates profit to local charities."

full text of letter to City Hall re: Stambaugh Building

The Honorable Jay Williams
City of Youngstown
26 N. Phelps St.
Youngstown, OH 44503


Mayor Williams:

This writing comes in the wake of the news stories of the window removal at the Stambaugh Building. It seems the City of Youngstown has this issue well at hand and is acting responsibly and has swiftly instituted mechanisms to prevent a recurrence and guard public safety. As citizens, our concerns extend beyond those of public safety.

The Central Business District of Youngstown is defined by its Central Square. The Stambaugh Building, Realty Building, First National Bank Tower, Huntington Bank Tower, Civil War Memorial and Chase Bank Tower define the Central Square. All of these buildings chronicle the development of Youngstown in the era of its transition from a small Ohio community into a bustling metropolis. All of these structures carry pedigrees, which elevate these buildings to a landmark status.

The aforementioned structures share many things in common. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will receive National Register of Historic Places markers later this summer. CityScape is finalizing the text of these markers, which are funded through a grant by the Ohio Historical Society. All are the earliest local examples of the phenomenon know as the “skyscraper”. Many of these landmarks are benefactors of responsible stewardship. With the exception of The Huntington Bank Tower, the same owners of the Stambaugh Building own all the landmark buildings on Central Square. Little known is the fact that these same owners are the custodians of three additional National Register Listed structures in the immediate downtown. The Wick Building, Erie Terminal and Liberty/Paramount Theater are among the portfolio of holdings of this company.

Recently, it was learned that the Liberty/Paramount Theater is doomed to the wrecking ball. Neither a plan to save the façade nor a credible re-development plan for that site exists. The owner has been quoted by the press as saying the Stambaugh Building is “a lost cause.” Such a statement casts a long shadow of doubt on the actual motive of the recent activities at the Stambaugh Building. It appears to these authors that removing the windows in their entirety from this structure and replacing them with plastic film sets the stage for slow motion decay, leading to calls of blight and eventual demolition. We certainly hope this is not the case. We are alarmed at the uncertain fate of all of these building and the indifference shown by the players in the real life Monopoly game that is occurring in our downtown.

We fear the Stambaugh Building incident is becoming the norm rather than the exception for property owners who elect to do nothing with their structures. It is irresponsible stewardship of our historic properties that has caused the demolition of many of those in the past and the real possibility of many in the future falling unless checked. Two major historic properties along West Federal Street, which are not owned by the Stambaugh Building owners, come to mind as potential future demolition candidates due to poor stewardship. This speaks to issues beyond the Stambaugh Building and frames them as a Downtown issue.

It is now time in the history of our City, as it re-defines itself, to balance the progress of new construction with the value of the historic built environment. We encourage the City of Youngstown to hold the Stambaugh Building owner to a high standard when remedying this matter.

In the immediate future, the building must be made weather tight in such a manner as to prevent any damage occurring while in limbo. Any boarding up or temporary methods used to achieve this should also come with limits on the period of time the temporary measures may remain in place. We suggest weeks rather than months be the unit of measure between the stabilization and remedial phases. In the near future, we see nothing short of a full historically accurate window restoration/replication/replacement being required of the owner. We envision this to occur or be in its completion phases well before the Winter of 2008 is upon us. We will not buy into excuses of the costly nature of the suggested remedy as the owners have spent millions in acquiring other properties in our downtown without the proper due diligence being performed to their existing properties.

Concurrent with the above activities we call on the City to assemble a Task Force comprised of business leaders, citizens and City officials to study and create a Landmark Structure Ordinance that bestows landmark status on selected buildings in the Central Business District, prohibits their demolition unless they become a public safety issue due to catastrophic fire or storm damage and tie to those structures a set of maintenance standards which are above the minimum standards set forth in the International Building Maintenance Code. Such an ordinance will guard our historic properties and assure their proper maintenance regardless of the owner.

Finally, the activities have had serious impact on many other aspects of our community. CityScape was forced to abandon parts of their beautification efforts this past Saturday leaving many volunteers without assignment and tainting a positive and productive yearly event. The only national chain operating in downtown was forced to close and remain closed until the City responsibly erected barricades to guard their patrons from future peril. This type of incident could jeopardize this chain’s presence in downtown if left unresolved for an undefined period of time.

We are certain you share in many of the concerns of this group and our hope is for the City to rise to action with this owner, future owners and any landholder who shows indifference in maintaining their properties.


Respectfully and Concernedly Submitted,

The Undersigned

2nd downtown architecture tour today (tuesday)

free tour - 7pm - at the Central Square

via MetroMonthly:

what happened to all the windows?

It's 8:47pm on Sunday and the rain has started downtown.

The wet drops are coming down harder now, even sideways when gusts of wind kick up.

And most of the windows in one of the architectural gems of downtown youngstown are now missing.

The Stambaugh Building, a wonderful example of early 20th century skyscrapers, is currently exposed to the elements. Some birds have flown inside of the structure - as the rain is coming down all around me.


For the back story, you can read two stories of excellent reporting here and here from the Business-Journal.

In a nutshell, the historic windows were being removed last week without permit nor safety precautions, and one was dropped from nine stories up - shattering onto Federal Street below.

Luckily, no individual or automobile were injured by the falling glass.

Now the entire perimeter around the building is closed off to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Here's a video of the space:



So, what is the next step in this mess?

- - -

The following letter will be given to Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams on Tuesday:


The Honorable Jay Williams
City of Youngstown
26 N. Phelps St.
Youngstown, OH 44503

Mayor Williams:

This writing comes in the wake of the news stories of the window removal at the Stambaugh Building. It seems the City of Youngstown has this issue well at hand and is acting responsibly and has swiftly instituted mechanisms to prevent a recurrence and guard public safety. As citizens, our concerns extend beyond those of public safety.

The Central Business District of Youngstown is defined by its Central Square. The Stambaugh Building, Realty Building, First National Bank Tower, Huntington Bank Tower, Civil War Memorial and Chase Bank Tower define the Central Square. All of these buildings chronicle the development of Youngstown in the era of its transition from a small Ohio community into a bustling metropolis. All of these structures carry pedigrees, which elevate these buildings to a landmark status.





Recently, it was learned that the Liberty/Paramount Theater is doomed to the wrecking ball. Neither a plan to save the façade nor a credible re-development plan for that site exists. The owner has been quoted by the press as saying the Stambaugh Building is “a lost cause.” Such a statement casts a long shadow of doubt on the actual motive of the recent activities at the Stambaugh Building. It appears to these authors that removing the windows in their entirety from this structure and replacing them with plastic film sets the stage for slow motion decay, leading to calls of blight and eventual demolition. We certainly hope this is not the case. . .

- - -

TO READ MORE of this LETTER TO THE MAYOR and POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS, click HERE.

and forward this website onto others to share these opinions.

any comments or suggestions?

ribbon cutting & walking tour, downtown wednesday

two events downtown tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14th.

- - -

The first is a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Realty Building renovation at 11:30am. The event is open to everyone, and a reception will take place at 20 Federal Place (the strouss' or phar-mor building) afterwards.

The Frangos Groups will "officially" start construction to transform the building on our Central Square into 25 apartments. The building was purchased in 2000 for $540,000.


The building was built in 1924 for the Realty Guarantee and Trust Company by Youngstown architects Morris Schiebel and Edgar Stanley. It's unique for a downtown building in that it has windows on all four sides of the structure.

It's interesting, looking back at my archives, this post was written two years ago. Good thing those Ohio tax credits kicked in.

Best of luck to those working on the project.

- - -

The second is a free walking tour at 7:00pm of historical buildings in downtown to be led by Mark Peyko, publisher and editor of the Metro Monthly.

The tour will begin at The Man on the Monument, in the Central Square.

In celebration of National Preservation Month, the tour will cover the history and development of the central business district. In addition, the tour will focus on threatened historic landmarks in the area.

More details on the tour here.

- - -

The story of the Realty Tower is one of recognizing the true value of our city's historical structures, which can never replaced once demolished.

That's it, no more, destroyed forever.

Final.

The most recent historical building slated for demolition may be the Liberty/Paramount Theater on Federal Street.

Will this building turn into another surface parking lot downtown, or is there the possibility for saving some components of its character for future generations to enjoy and cherish?

"cookie table season" has officially opened

thank the lord spring has arrived.

for the cookie table season is officially upon us.

- - -

still in bewilderment of Youngstown's cookie tables?

watch this video from this wedding reception I attended over the weekend:



A truly serpentine cookie table with even a separate chocolate table as well!

Infinite kudos go to Jan as she spent 2 months plus baking all of the cookies for her daughter's wedding. Her christmas cookie business prepared her well for this big event.

An additional nice touch was the "truly cut out for each other" favors for each guest, with cookie cutter attached, and recipe inside.



what a wonderful idea.


long-time readers of this blog may have read cookie table stories on this site in the past, but here is a nice review as Pittsburgh went searching for the origin of one of Youngstown's most cherished traditions:

Cookies are not the only sustenance at weddings, though. A typical wedding menu in northeastern Ohio might include "rigs and meatballs" (rigatoni and meatballs), "drenched" salad (greens covered in dressing, usually Italian), green bean amandine, some kind of chicken, roast beef or pork tenderloin and white potatoes with parsley. And, of course, there's wedding cake, though it must compete with the cookie table for attention.

"I think the wedding cake is eaten less and less, and people choose cookies over the cake," Nohra says.

In the "Buckeye State," Buckeye cookies are the centerpiece of the table and always disappear first. Other must-haves are "clothespin" cookies (we call them ladylocks), iced Italian "wedding cookies," Peanut Butter Blossoms (the ones with Hershey's kisses), kolachi (rolled nut loaf), and pizzelles (the crispy flat cookie made in a special iron).

here's to the beginning of another great season . . .

the home of the original Good Humor Bar to become new downtown museum

the news is now public:

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS) will be expanding its operations to create a new History Center downtown. The 132 year old organization recently purchased the 22,000 sq. ft. Burt Building (continuously occupied since 1935 by Ross Radio) for renovation. It was at this location that Harry Burt first produced his patented invention in the early 1920s: the “Good Humor” ice cream bar on a stick, now famous all over the world.

(photo courtesy of the MVHS blog)

The History Center will include:
- permanent space for exhibits and education
- climate controlled storage and conservation facilites
- exhibition space for traveling history shows
- downtown space for community activites and group events



This building is in great shape. Lots of untouched furnishings from when the building operated as a candy and ice cream factory, retail store and public dining area many years ago.

Read more about the building and future plans at MVHS's great blog.

Better yet, become a member of MVHS.

Their archives are a wonderful place to vist any weekend.

BONUS HISTORY TIDBIT: follow how the Good Humor brand was purchsed from Burt's widow after his death and shifted from corporation to corporation over the past 78 years here.

things to do in youngstown

Looking at Shout Youngstown's site analytics, one of the main searches drawing people to the blog is the Google search:
"things to do in youngstown".

Our staff has compiled a preliminary list of about 60 places in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley that are essential and vintage Ytown - the true unique gems of this community.

So we are unveiling "The Map"
a.k.a.
"The Gems of Youngstown"

click here to see it.

The Map is intended for:
- those who seek the unique things in life
- those looking for the quintessential youngstown
- students in ytown for college
- out-of-town visitors exploring local flavor

The Map is kinda organized by color:
- red for food places (sometimes serving drinks)
- purple for drink places (sometimes serving food)
- yellow for neat cultural/entertainment options
- green for outdoors/nature stuff
- white for historical
- tan for interesting shops

The Map is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every place in the region.

It is a work in progress.

If you don't agree with the contents of The Map, go ahead and make your own.

But by all means, we will listen to your suggestions for future additions.

Make sure your suggestion is a good one though, as character and good food is what drives many of these places to the top of our rankings.

For example, Bw3's in Boardman near the s.p. mall will not make our staff's list because it (a) is not unique, (b) has expensive beer, (c) lacks local flavor.

We realize The Map is created though the lens which represents our tastes. While our tastes are not necessarily superior to anyone else's - they are inherently wonderful.

and with great humility, we give you . .

The Map

Valley native Schreckengost, renowned designer, passes away at 101

Viktor Schreckengost, born in Sebring, winner of the National Medal of Arts, and artist extraordinare, passed away over the weekend at the age of 101.

from his wikipedia article:

"Schreckengost taught industrial design at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) for more than 50 years, and is Professor Emeritus at CIA today. He was also the youngest faculty member ever at CIA (then known as the Cleveland School of the Arts). Schreckengost founded CIA's renowned school of industrial design, the first of its kind in the country."

and from the website of his foundation:

"Every adult in America has ridden in, ridden on, drunk out of, stored their things in, eaten off of, been costumed in, mowed their lawn with, played on, lit the night with, viewed in a museum, cooled their room with, read about, printed with, sat on, placed a call with, enjoyed in a theater, hid their hooch in, collected, been awarded with, seen at a zoo, put their flowers in, hung on their wall, served punch from, delivered milk in, read something printed on, seen at the World’s Fair, detected enemy combatants with, written about, had an arm or leg replaced with, graduated from, protected by, or seen at the White House something created by Viktor Schreckengost."

click here to access his gallery, where you can see more wonderful images like this:

remembering The Little Steel Strike of 1937

On Wednesday, may 30th at 10am will be a ceremony at the Steel Museum downtown where a marker commemorating the Little Steel Strike of 1937 will be reinstalled. This week marked the 70th anniversary of the event.

The marker was orginally installed in 1985 in the pedestrian section of Federal Plaza, but when the area was reopened to traffic a few years ago, the marker disappeared. It will now be placed in front of the Segal sculpture, "The Steelworkers", just across the street from the Cathedral downtown.


When the Steelworkers Organizing Committee formed in 1936, U.S. Steel agreed to negotiate a union contract, but Republic and Youngstown Sheet & Tube refused. Workers went on strike against these “little” steel companies, here in Youngstown and in South Chicago. That Memorial Day, when hundreds of striking workers and their wives and children marched from a rally to the plant gates at the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago, guards shot into the crowd. 10 striking workers were killed and many others, including women and children, were injured that day.

A month later, more violence broke out here in Youngstown, and two workers were killed.


Speaking at the event will be:

• Sherry Linkon & John Russo, YSU Center for Working Class Studies
  
• Gary Steinback, Steelworkers Union
  
• Jay Williams, Mayor of Youngstown
  

Here is a piece by William Gropper, which hangs in the Butler Art Museum, named "Youngstown Strike" (1937):

The Art of Steel Tour: Public Art and Local History

Attention residents, historians, and bloggers from the CLE-yo-PIT belt . . .

. . . or should I just say Youngstown+ ?

Next Saturday, May 12, the Center for Working-Class Studies at YSU will offer a half-day tour of public art in the Mahoning Valley. The steelmaking history of the region can still be seen on the local landscape, not only in the remaining mills but also in a wide variety of sculptures, murals, stained glass windows, and other works of art.


Dr. Sherry Linkon, Co-Director of the CWCS and co-author of Steeltown USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown, will lead the tour. Participants will visit several sites near downtown Youngstown, including:

• St. John’s Episcopal Church (including their amazing stained glass windows)
  
• the Youngstown Historical Center of History and Labor (designed by architect Michael Graves)
  
• YSU’s Bliss Hall, where local sculptor and Art professor Greg Moring will discuss his latest project – a set of sculptural gates representing the community’s history.
  
• “Steelworker,” a 20-foot sculpture built by former steelworker and artist Sidney Rackoff and the workers at Niles Iron and Metal.
  

“Youngstown has an impressive and significant collection of public art, most of it based on the community’s history,” says Linkon, “But many people don’t even know it’s there. We want to make that work visible, because we think it’s one of the key assets of this area. It’s also a good way to learn about the community’s history.”

The tour is open to anyone with an interest in local history, art, or just seeing the community from a different perspective.


The cost for the tour is $10, and the tour will start at 9am, going to around noon. Transportation from site to site will be provided. (road trip!) To register, call Patty LaPresta, 330-941-2978, by Tuesday May 8th.

"Mobtown, USA...

...Separating Fact from Fiction."

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society's Young Leaders Advisory Board presented a panel discussion this evening addressing the issue of organized crime in the area. It is no secret that Youngstown's history has been largely affected by organized crime. But is Youngstown's history as you've come to know it really accurate?

Moderated by Dr. Fred Viehe, Professor of History at YSU, the discussion aimed to inform the audience of various aspects of organized crime from its beginnings (in ancient times) through the modern day.

The most interesting topics were discussed by Jonathan Kinser as he presented a portion of his own research into the local trials of famed lawyer Clarence Darrow (Born and raised in Kinsman, OH, Darrow was involved in many notable cases, especially the Scopes Monkey Trial). In his later years, Darrow was involved in the locally famous Munsene trials.

To learn more about the Munsene Trials, check out this write-up about Jonathan Kinser and his research here.

It was an interesting view into our history and our old reputation as "Mobtown, USA."

---

As an aside, it is interesting to note that James Munsene was the owner of several local clubs including the Hollyhock Club in Warren where a young man named Perry Como was a building a name for himself.

Unfortunately, the Hollyhock Club's reputation eventually led to its demise.

here is a story . . . to be saved forever

A few weekends ago I had a great evening downtown.

It began with a meeting to "Save the State Theater" at Cedar's Lounge. Then moved to The Upstairs Lounge for some italian greens and stuffed hungarian peppers. Then we finished up the night at the new Boxcar Lounge, located down by the river next to the Old B&O banquet hall/train station.

Lots of lounging going on I guess. So then we sat up at the bar and start telling stories.

Three other bloggers were at the bar with me. Six months ago, I didn't know any of these people.

We were talking about the State Theater when the bartender chimes in about how he used to be a projectionist there. In fact, he used to be a projectionist all over Youngstown, and told four stories about the different movie houses in the city where he used to work.

The talk of blogging came up, and a discussion about how to immortalize all of these stories.

A new face at the bar, noticing our passion for history, went out into his car and placed this upon the counter:


It turned out to be a collection of postcards from the early 20th century - all featuring scenes in Youngstown.

He had a postcard someone sent from 1919, and the postage was 1 cent. ( Yo., O. )

Some of the postcards pre-1920s showed buildings downtown, with most of them still standing to this day.

We talked of speakeasies in the prohibition era, and Ytown's title as "Little Chicago" since it was a hangout at some point for Al Capone and others from those days. The bartender told of another story, how back in the day, there were some stores downtown that contained secret entrances, with access rooms beneath the sidewalk on federal street. One of them was a ladies' clothing store, and inside one of the dressing rooms was the secret entrance.

And so the stories kept coming.

And the relization that a blog would be a great place to archive all of these stories.

- - -

Fast forward to the next day. I made my first trip to the archives of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society.

It was an awesome place.

Filled with ancient photos, fire insurance books with maps of the downtown as large as a kitchen table, industrial archaeology artifacts, and many many other pieces - each with a story behind it.

And so I asked the staff while I was there about the possibility of bars under the sidewalk back in the day.

A possibility perhaps, but a component of our downtown's history makes the possibility all the more interesting.

For it turns out that when John Young planned out the town over 200 years ago, Federal Street was two different widths as the road continued away from the central square. It was 100 feet across from the center of town, and then somewhere around Phelps Street, the road narrowed to 60 feet.

So then as the city exploded in size, more space was needs for roads to accomodate more trollies, cars, and pedestrians. The rest of federal street was "widened" to 100 feet, but the problem was, all of the buildings were still there.

So they cut off the tip.

Many of the buildings then which were now facing federal street had 20 feet of the building chopped off, and a new facade put in place. That is why so many buildings along that street have terra cotta facades. When the buildings were "resized", the en vogue material at the time was terra cotta.

We have kept many terra cotta buildings throughout the years, and we have lost some. One was slowly demolished recently, chunk by chunk, piece by historical piece, to make way for the new Youngstown Technology Center. Here is one of the last pictures ever taken of this building before it disappeared from the streetscape of the city:


And the strange thing is, the foundations of the old buildings remained. As the facades pushed back, walls to the sides remained, but placed under the sidewalk. Where previously there was a front staircase entrance (think nyc bodegas), was now paved over, with possible space underneath.

So quite possibly, the story about the underground and hidden drinking establishment is true.

In fact, check out these photos from the demolition of the buildings for the new court of appeals from the Downtown Youngstown website:


Can you see the doors that are below the street level?


But if it wasn't for that night in the bar, that story may have been totally lost to my memory.

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Fast forward to three weeks ago. The kid I met in the bar with the postcards created a new blog after our conversation: youngstownhistory.blogspot.com

check it out, and add it to your bookmarks...

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Fast forward to the future.

This blogging thing can be a great way to record stories like this forever. So today begins a new blogging project:

The Youngstown Stories - History Blog Project

Its objectives will be:

- to link to blogs that feature written stories submitted by individuals;
- to post video via You Tube of oral histories; and
- to perform outreach and education for starting a blog to those looking to share their stories, but do not have the experience in doing so

Other programs recording the oral histories of individuals have been a success, but are located on more traditional forms of media, often archived in a library.

This project may enable us to share Youngstown's stories around the world, and for generations to come - and all one needs is an internet connection. Here is a good one from the Center of Historic Preservation at YSU that seems to have run from 1974 to 2003.

Youngstown Stories is a new site, and a work in progress.

Let the recording begin!

brainstorming for public art projects in the downtown

In my opinion, we have too little public space devoted to public art throughout the city of youngstown. I remember as a kid being able to run around the life-sized statues on Federal Street of the workers throwing their shovels into the blast furnace. Now that George Segal's piece is near the steel museum, surrounded by a lawn, it just seems so removed from interacting with the public. But maybe that's where the public wants it . . . moving images of the past to the periphery.

I have some concepts for public art in the city. As more people add comments to this blog, I will give more ideas. So if you the public somehow wander onto this site, please post your thoughts and suggestions.

idea one: recreate in bronze the "snap the whip" image from Windslow Homer's painting which is hanging in the Butler. The models of the casting would come from children in the area, generating interest for the project. But each of the seven or eight kids playing the game would be from a different generation. The lead boy would mimic the original painting, clasping hands with someone from the early 20th century. Included in the mix would be a kid with a buzzcut, a girl with an afro, and a modern kid with an ipod in his back pocket. Some children would have hands clenched to others from a different generation, and others would be left reaching in the air.

But the collection of statues would be approachable, so in 20 years, children (whatever they look like) will be able to grab the shiny metal hands of the statue I am proposing. We can put in a public place, where it can be touched by children whenever they go past it.


idea two: we need statues signifying the historical legacy of our area's intellectuals in addition to its great coaches and athletes. I propose installing a life-sized image of John H. Clarke, who was an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in the early 20th century. He was a part-owner of the Youngstown Vindicator and past president of the Youngstown Library Board of Trustees, where he worked to greatly enhance the collection of the library system. Clarke once stated the following:

"I have lived a long, very busy, and not uneventful life, and as I look back on its activities, other than professional, it seems to me that the most useful, certainly the most satisfying, part of it was striving as I did as a young man to obtain a public library for the city in which I lived, and to carry forward its good work when it was once secured."

idea three: Also spending a good portion of their lives in Youngstown were the Warner Brothers, most of whom emmigrated from Krasnosielc, Poland to Youngstown when they were children. One of the four brothers, Sam, became interested in film after seeing a movie by Thomas Edison at nearby Cedar Point amusement park where he was an employee.

What about some sort of recreation of an early scene in film history with the Warner Brothers? The sculpture could show the four brothers, at their various ages when they lived in Youngstown, redding up their equipment for a shot. One or two of the brothers can be behind the camera, taking a picture of the other two brothers. If these sculptures are life-sized, people can walk right next to the statues and pretend to pose for a photo with the Warner Brothers.