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| "The Russian Club" St. Michael's Hall, Maplewood Avenue Old Economy-Ambridge Sesqui-Centennial Historical Booklet, 1974 |
I was on the hunt for St. Michael's Hall.
The Russian Society of St. Michael was one of the many ethnic organizations in Ambridge which first organized as a mutual insurance group, then bought a building which became a social club and bar. These clubs were places to hold baby and bridal showers and wedding and funeral receptions. The bars were especially popular on Sundays when public beer-gardens were legally prohibited from opening.
I had seen the above photo in the Old Economy-Ambridge Sesqui-Centennial Historical Booklet from 1974, and it looked so very familiar, but I couldn't place it. I wanted to take a photo, but I would have to find it first. The parking meter out front indicated to me that the building was on Merchant Street or a street near Merchant. But where?
During recent visits to Ambridge, I'd driven through Merchant Street, Maplewood Avenue, Park Road, Duss Avenue, Melrose and Glenwood Avenues from end to end, and I didn't remember seeing this building, although I wasn't specifically looking for it then. So before my last visit to Ambridge, I asked a friend who might know, "Where's St. Michael's Hall?" The answer was that it was on the corner of Pine and 8th Streets and was more commonly called "The Russian Club." OK, I hadn't thought to look there. Were there ever parking meters that far from Merchant Street? And why would a building on Pine Street, a street that I had only been on a few times in my life, look so familiar?
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| Former St. Michael's Hall, Eighth and Pine Streets, March 27, 2014 |
Here's a photo of the same building in July, 2009:
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| Former St. Michael's Hall, Eighth and Pine Streets, July, 2009 credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission |
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| Detail, St. Michael's Hall, Eighth and Pine Streets, "St. M.G.S.H., 1934" July, 2009 credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission |
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| Detail, St. Michael's Hall, Eighth and Pine Streets, July, 2009 credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission |
Even taking into consideration the building's having been converted into what appeared to be a residence, it didn't seem to match up with the 1974 photo.
Then, I posted the 1974 photo on the Facebook group, "Ambridge Memories What Do You Remember,"* asked for help, and got my answer: St. Michael's Hall, "the Russian Club," definitely was at 8th and Pine Streets, was owned by the St. Michael the Archangel Greek Society**, and had been there at least since the 1930s. And St. Michael's Hall, "the Russian Club," definitely was also in the 300 block of Maplewood Avenue, near the former Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, but was affiliated with Holy Ghost Orthodox Church***, and was there for many years until it was razed in 2011. Its former location is now an empty lot.
So, there were two "Russian Clubs" called St. Michael's. Mystery solved, but alas, I was too late to take a photo of the one on Maplewood. The reason that St. Michael's had looked so familiar is that we would have passed it driving home from Divine Redeemer Church or after we'd picked up my dad after his shift at Ambridge Bridge.
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| Masonic District Temple 308 Maplewood Avenue July, 2009 credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission |
Indeed it did. There is no doubt in my mind that the Masonic Temple was in the former Russian Club building.
From the side view, it looks as though perhaps demolition had already started.
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| Masonic District Temple 308 Maplewood Avenue July, 2009 credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission |
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| Cornerstone, M. W. Prince Hall, Grand Lodge, F. and A. M. of Pa July, 2009 credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission. |
I haven't had time yet to contact anyone who might be able to tell me more about the Masonic Temple. So a post about it will have to wait until I do. If you have any information about it, please leave a comment or email me.
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[Update July 3, 2014: Earlier today, I came across this ad and thought I'd add it here:
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| Dance ad St. Michael's Club 800 Pine Street Beaver County Times, July 9, 1960 |
*This blog is not affiliated with the Facebook group "Ambridge Memories What Do You Remember" although I do post there and gratefully obtain information and photos from its members.
**I don't know at this point why "The Russian Club" was owned by a Greek society. My guess is that it was affiliated with St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, which was once known as St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church and founded by Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants. But I admit that's just a guess at this point. If you know the answer, please let me know.
***Originally Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ghost.
St. Michael's Club was affiliated with the Greek Catholic Church, which is now officially called the Byzantine Catholic Church. The church is still referred to as "Greek Catholic" in eastern Slovakia and Western Ukraine because it's tradition eminated from the Greek Orthodox Chruch. However, all Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churchs eminate from the same Greek tradition. It was only in the later part of the 20th century that the "Greek Catholic" church in the U.S. changed to Byzantine Catholic in an attempt to eliminate the confusion. Also, in 1929 (I think that was the year), St. Mary's Greek Catholic church and St. John's Carpatho-Rusyn Russian Orthodox Church were actually one church. In that year, there was a schism in that church (actually Greek Catholic churches were splitting for a number of years prior to 1929) over several issues, primarily over married priests and that is why there are now two distinct parishes. However, all of the ancestors hail from the same small region of Eastern Slovakia/Western Ukraine. The ancestors of both helped to create St. Michaels "Russian" Club. These Russians were actually "Rusnaks" but like Pennsylvania "Dutch" were actually Duetsch "Germans", the distinctions were blurred over time.
ReplyDeleteDavid Klacik
thank you. this makes more sense.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSt John's never owned another building in Ambridge, but the assessment of the situation is close to right. St. Michael's Club, erroneously called the "Russian" club -- was founded by Carpatho-Rusyn Greek Catholics who settled in Ambridge. Eventually, most of its members were members of either Holy Ghost Orthodox Church or St. John's Orthodox Church --all Carpatho-Rusyns from the same areas in Europe. (Per John Righetti, parish council president of St. John's Orthodox - submitted by parish member Anne Bacher)
ReplyDeletejd aka john domansky
ReplyDeletesomeone is asking about the parking meters, i recall them on merchant st from 3rd to 14th then up a little on 14th to swietzers barn area,(up to 1950s late,) altho i saw them there much later. not sure about side streets off merchant elsewhere tho. as kids we leap frogged them, me being under 5' going over a 5' + meter was not easy or safe, but i had lots of spring at that time. i recall that yellow brick building up on 8th st tho, name is ??? the reason for ethnic clubs was for sunday tavern shutdowns, clubs were open only for booze.