Arch Social Club: Preserving a cultural pillar through a holistic approach to preservation
What We Did
- Capacity Building
- Design Project Management assistance
- Grant Management assistance
- Construction Management assistance
Partners
- Upton Planning Committee
- Druid Heights CDC
- Pennsylvania Avenue Community Benefits Committee
- Richard D. Wagner
Supporters
- State of Maryland
- National Trust of Historic Preservation and American Express
The Arch Social Club is one of the oldest continually operating African American men’s clubs in the U.S.
Since its inception, it has been a hub for Black cultural activity in West Baltimore, serving as a cornerstone for Baltimore’s African American civic, political and cultural life. Established in 1905 as a meeting hall for Black men in a then-segregated city, the club brought together tradesmen, laborers, clergy, professionals and entrepreneurs to craft strategies for addressing the issues of the day and into fellowship with one another. The club also served as a meeting place for the civil rights movement, hosting NAACP leaders Clarence & Juanita Mitchell, Thurgood Marshall, Charles Hamilton Houston and others. Built as a vaudeville and movie theater, fellowship at the Arch is often celebrated with music. In recent years, the Arch Social Club has also served as a safe-house and comfort station during the demonstrations that followed the death of Baltimore’s Freddie Gray and a food distribution site during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NDC began working with Arch in 2015 to support the members in restoring their home, a historic theater which requires a complete restoration, estimated to cost over $5 million. At the time, roof leaks were destroying the building and making it difficult to hold club events. From that simple start, a roof repair, NDC has continued to support the club through the years, both through our capacity building program, Place Matters, and our core program offering, Community Design Works.
The Challenge: Revitalization of a space, beyond the physical building
When NDC first began working with the Arch Social Club, stabilizing the building was the main priority. As the leaders and members got to know us, though, we learned from them that building maintenance was part of a larger organizational challenge. At the time, the uprising in Penn North, right outside their front door, as well consistent high crime in the area was keeping customers away. Membership was aging, and without a strong program schedule, attendance at events was dwindling. We realized that we could offer additional capacity to the club in conjunction with our traditional design services.
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“We don’t have time to do the work on our own, but by networking and partnering with other groups we hope to have enough capacity.”
— Van Anderson, President, Arch Social Club
Grant Writing and Project Management
The club has political connections and clout, but as a volunteer- and member-led organization, Arch lacks capacity and skills to prepare and manage large grants to support reinvestment and allow members to build cash reserves. And as with many community-based places, they often prioritize direct action that benefits people over business decisions. Therefore, we began partnering on grant management efforts and offered project management assistance to move the restoration of the building forward.
One of the first successes in our partnership was when Arch secured all of the necessary funds to complete the roof renovation and have a historic structure report prepared. The roof stabilized the building, so that the members can have full access for booking events, which also gives them time to do additional planning. The Historic Structures Report provides a full plan for restoring the building with costs. In the end, we were able to work together with Arch, building invaluable experience, as well as bringing more than 90k in resources to the Club.
Building a network: The Pennsylvania Ave. Community Benefits Coalition
As we worked, a coalition emerged to collaborate on revitalization across communities along Pennsylvania Avenue, including Penn North, Druid Heights, Upton, and Sandtown-Winchester. NDC began joining for a bi-weekly meeting and supporting administrative tasks as requested, such as distributing agendas and taking minutes for this group. The group continues to meet, to build shared knowledge, boost events, and serve as a roundtable to address neighborhood issues such as drug use and trafficking, violence, vacancy, and lack of investment. Through this group, Arch has gained assistance in applying for grants, increased promotion of events, and made headway in creating a long-term support network.
The Vision: The gateway to a hub of Black arts and culture
On the northernmost corner of the famed ‘Avenue’, a place that Billie Holiday and Cab Calloway once called home—where theatres like the Royal were crowded full for acts such as Louis Armstrong—the Arch is at the forefront of a movement to renew Pennsylvania Avenue as a Black business corridor; the Baltimore destination for Afro-centric shopping, dining, arts, and entertainment.
The Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District
From the biweekly convenings of the Pennsylvania Avenue Community Benefits Committee, a shared vision for a revitalized avenue emerged. An image of the avenue rebuilding from its strong roots in Black culture and solidarity gained focus with an initiative to create a state-recognized Black Arts and Entertainment District. Lady Brion (Brion Gill) and another local organization, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, joined the coalition and led the application process. NDC supported the application to the state, providing concept sketches and graphics. In 2019, the state honored the request, making Pennsylvania Avenue the first Black Arts and Entertainment District in the Maryland.
The Plan: Restore the Building, Revitalize the Programming
We identified several objectives to ensure the club’s future and revitalize the programming along with the building:
Securing Funding
Publicity is vital to a strong fundraising campaign. The Arch gained some valuable assets, such as a new website, with participation in the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express “Vote Your Main Street” competition in 2018. Partnering with Pennsylvania Avenue Main St., NDC supported the submission to this grant contest. With support from the Mayor of Baltimore and over 100,000 online votes, Arch Social Club received $110,000 in funding to reconstruct a historically appropriate marquee and facade lighting, to be installed at the end of 2020.
“The building is a scaffolding for an extraordinary culture.”
— Jennifer Goold Executive Director, Neighborhood Design Center
Key Successes
Key Investments
The total estimated value of the services and resources secured during the period of NDC’s partnership, not including NDC staff time, is about $380,000.
The Future
The Club has received additional state funding to renovate the lobby, drawing from original detailing to create an accessible and welcoming multi-use space. In addition, Arch Social Club is now partnered with us under the T. Rowe Price Foundation’s EDGE program to understand operating costs for a fully restored building for long term planning of the capital campaign. This work with T. Rowe Price is only the beginning of bringing the Arch into stronger relationships with Baltimore’s foundation community.
In 2024 and beyond, we continue to be deeply involved in supporting restoration and expansion efforts, overseeing project management throughout each developmental stage.
Our responsibilities range from reviewing contractor proposals and contracts to offering essential client project management support. We’re also hands-on in scheduling and hosting team meetings.
Concept Designs for a New Addition
Baltimore-based architecture firm Quinn Evans created these renderings and floorplan concepts for the Club's expansion.
