African America Pythian Building Opens, December 20, 1928

-From the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Monday, December 17th, 1928.
 

NEW COLORED PYTHIAN HOME TO OPEN DEC. 20

The new colored Pythian building located on Chapline between Tenth and Eleventh streets, will be thrown open to the public Thursday, December 20. The building includes a large auditorium, store room, offices, and lodge rooms. It is four stories in height.

It was erected under the auspices of the Colored Pythian association. The board of directors of the body includes Walker Harris, president, Earl Johnson, secretary, Dr. G. ? Banks, Rodger Hines, Robert Clarke, J. W. Parker, Elsworth Merrill, Jolin Kent, George Williams, Edgar Meeks, and Andrew Robinson. Samuel Plato of Louisville, KY was architect and general contractor. 

The Pythian Building continued in operation into the fifties. The Pythian Theatre, later called the Fedo Theatre, operated served the African American community into the mid-1950s. In addition to facilities for the Pythian organization, the building contained a restaurant, initially called the Pythian Restaurant, but from 1938 on called The Palm Garden. The Pythian (sometimes Fraternity) Barbershop and the Friendship Billiard Parlor were other tenants.

African American Pythian Building  |  African-American Wheeling  |  Organizations  |  Places of Wheeling Home  |  Wheeling History Home  |  OCPL Home  

-Information on this page compiled by erothenbuehler