Guide Concordia Club Records, 1874-2011 (bulk 1874-1975)
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Concordia Club Records,
- Creator
- Concordia Club
- Collection Number
- MSS#434
- Extent
- 5 linear feet (2 boxes and 14 shelf volumes)
- Date
- 1874-2011
- Date
- 1874-1975
- Abstract
- The Concordia Club, first located in Allegheny City, now Pittsburgh's North Side, and later in Oakland, was founded in 1874 by a group of mainly German-American Reform Jews. It served as a social center for the Jewish community of Pittsburgh until the end of 2009, when the Club voted to sell the historic building and close its doors after 135 years. The records of the Concordia Club consist of minutes, reports, correspondence, memberships, by-laws, charters, newspaper clippings, and other items pertaining to the Concordia Club's social events and programs.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
In 1874, a group of approximately forty Jewish men, primarily of German origin, met to organize an association, whose purpose, according to its charter, was "to promote social and literary entertainment among its members." The first president of the Concordia Club was Josiah Cohen, a prominent teacher, lawyer, and judge. Jacob Eiseman was president in 1884, when the club was chartered. The majority of the Club's early members and almost all of its early officers were members of Rodef Shalom Congregation.
The Concordia Club's first location was a rented home on Stockton Avenue in Allegheny City, now the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh. At that time more than 95 per cent of the Club's membership lived in Allegheny City. By the late 1870s the club had grown sufficiently to need a dance hall, which was created through renovation of the original structure. The Stockton Avenue clubhouse property was purchased by the club in 1890. During Enoch Rauh's presidency, a new building was erected on the same Stockton Avenue site, at a cost of proximately $75,000. At that time the club had 175 members.
During the next 20 years, the Concordia Club became a significant social institution for the Jewish community, even as the community's demographic center was shifting from Allegheny City to Pittsburgh's East End communities, particularly Squirrel Hill. By 1913, when the Concordia Club moved to its new location on O'Hara Street in the Schenley Farms district of Oakland, more than 95 per cent of the members lived in Squirrel Hill. Morris Kingsbacher was president and Philip Hamburger was the chair of the building committee when the new clubhouse was dedicated on December 25, 1913, with a gala banquet. The building contained a banquet hall, ballroom, library, lounges, sleeping quarters, billiard rooms, and bowling alleys.
The Club's entertainment committee had over the years staged elaborate themed dances, vaudeville performances, musical stage revues, amateur theatrical productions, "stags for the older men," and holiday parties. Private social functions of all sorts were held in the clubhouse, which continued to be a gathering place for Pittsburgh's Jewish community. After 135 years, the Concordia Club voted to sell the historic building to the University of Pittsburgh due to declining membership and financial shortages and closed its doors at the end of 2009.
Scope and Content Notes
The records of the Concordia Club are housed in two boxes and fourteen shelf volumes and arranged alphabetically. The bulk of the collection consists of minutes from meetings of the board of directors, annual meetings, and committee reports. The minutes cover the years 1874 through 2009. The records also include accounting ledgers, bonds, bank envelopes, charters, by laws, correspondence, membership ledgers, newsclippings, invitations, programs from anniversary celebrations and other shows, song sheets, certificates, and other documents.
Arrangement
- The records of the Concordia Club are housed in two boxes and fourteen shelf volumes and arranged alphabetically.
Conditions Governing Access
No Restrictions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials came in three accessions and were combined into one body in 2008.
A fourth accession was incorporated into the collection in 2010.
Four more accessions were added in 2014
Accession #2004.0157 was a gift from Ellen Lehman in 2004
Accession #2012.0087 was a gift from the Rodef Shalom Congregation Archives
Accession #2013.0065 was a gift from Mildred Rubenstein in 2013
Accession #2014.0095 was a gift from Stanley Levine on behalf of the Concordia Club in 2014.
Preferred Citation
Concordia Club Records, 1874-2011, MSS#434, Rauh Jewish Archives, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center This collection has been previously cited as: Records of the Concordia Club, 1874-1996, MSS#434, Rauh Jewish Archives, Senator John Heinz History CenterGeneral
This collection has been previously cited as: Records of the Concordia Club, 1874-1996, MSS#434, Rauh Jewish Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Martha L. Berg on October 27, 2008.
Additions to the collection and further processing by Theresa E. Rea on March 26, 2010.
Additions to the collection and further processing by Kelly J. Smith in June 2014.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Separated Materials
One box and one shelf volume of the Concordia Club Photographs have been separated, arranged, and described with the catalog designation of MSP#434.
One folder of oversize materials has been separated, arranged, and described with the catalog designation of MSO#434
One folder of oversize photographs has been separated, arranged, and described with the catalog designation of MSR#434.
Gilbert, Arthur and Oscar Tarcov. Your Neighbor Celebrates. New York: Friendly House Publishers, 1957 is located in the library.
The Concordia Club 120 Years. Videocassette. Directed by Nate Sherer. Pittsburgh, PA: Nate Sherer Video Productions, 1994 is located in the library.
The Concordia Club 130 Year Anniversary. Videocassette. Pittsburgh, PA, 2004 is located in the library.
To the Museum: Stone engraved with Concordia Club from accession #2013.0182
Subjects
- Concordia Club (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Cohen, Josiah, 1840-1930
- Eiseman, Jacob, c. 1839-1914
- Rauh, Enoch, 1857-1919
- Kingsbacher, Morris, 1847-1930
- Jews--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Social clubs--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Jewish business--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Jewish social life and cusoms--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh