GLENDALE, Ohio — A local group is providing a closer look at its plans to turn a once-segregated school into a cultural arts center in Glendale.
The former Eckstein School served Black children in the village for decades. It closed in 1958.
“It was more than just a school though,” said Bill Parrish, whose father attended Eckstein. “This was the center of the community.”
The school has been empty and in need of serious repairs for years. In 2021, its future was uncertain after a developer proposed demolition to build a convalescent home.
“If you really want to save something, you're going to fight for it,” Parrish said.
The community rallied around the site to push for its preservation. In 2021, the Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) agreed to purchase the school. Ultimately, the association will transfer the lot to the Eckstein Cultural Arts Center, which Parrish started.
“There's about 95,000 listings on the National Register. Only 2% of those are associated with the Black experience,” said Beth Johnson, CPA’s Executive Director. “Black sites have been overlooked for a multitude of reasons and CPA felt that it was necessary that we step up to help.”
The project involves preserving the past while also looking to the future.
“I think when you gather the history and you make it available for people to learn, then I think that's when history doesn't repeat itself,” Parrish said. “We’ll do arts programs, education.”
Plans include adding a portable stage, recording studio, educational exhibits and multipurpose rooms for community use. Parrish said this will allow community groups to use the space for meetings.
“I see a bunch of different people who don't look alike,” Parrish said of his vision for the space in the future. “And I see a lot of activity.”
Parrish's goal is to turn a space that was once segregated into one that is “intentionally integrated.”
“We know that that's going to be hard work,” he said. “It's not going to be easy, but that's what we're committed to.”
The group just launched its fundraising campaign to make the plans a reality. Parrish said it will cost $3 million to renovate the site. The group is also trying to raise an additional $2 million to fund the first five years of operating costs.
You can donate to the project here.
The site is part of CPA’s “Cincinnati Sites and Stories.” It’s a free mobile app that allows users to explore sites that have shaped the region’s history. The first collection was devoted to sites central to the Black experience in Cincinnati.
“Those were the stories that people don't know,” Johnson said. “Those were the stories that we wanted to make sure we got into people's hands.”
To help CPA identify other Black historic sites, email info@cincinnatipreservation.org.
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