Abandoned GAR Meeting Hall in Ohio

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Memorial Hall was built by The Grand Army of the Republic's Post No. 165, reported to be the largest post in the Nation, within one of the most historically powerful civic organizations at that time. This building housed the meetings and activities of this fraternal organization of veterans, which provided services for veterans after the civil war and served as a model for future organizations for veterans. The G.A.R. was an influential lobbying group in national and state politics and succeeded in ensuring Republican domination in the House of Representatives, The Senate, and office of the President after the Civil War for nearly sixty years. In local history, Memorial Hall held a unique position within the community by housing the extensive public library, the City of Ironton's municipal offices and courts for nearly a hundred years, and succeeding veteran's groups such as the American Legion. It has continued to have significance within the community and serves as the starting point of the longest continually running Memorial Day Parade in the nation for over a one hundred and thirty years.

Ironton was founded on the banks of the Ohio River in 1849. A boom town of the iron industry, the town grew quickly. It was largely populated by immigrant workers of Irish and German decent. Just ten years after its founding, the Civil War erupted and Camp Ironton was the mustering point for the 91 Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI), the first Ohio regiment to be deployed south. Those that remained behind worked the iron industry that fed the war effort.

Following the war, returning veterans formed the Dick Lambert Post No. 165 of the Grand Army of the Republic veterans' organization. Dick Lambert became the tragic namesake of the Lawrence County post after becoming the first Lawrence county casualty in the Civil war. In 1866, the G.A.R. became the first veterans' organization, established in Decatur, Illinois to become politically active for veterans pensions, voting rights for African-American veterans and supporting Republican political candidates. Ohio was among the most active in membership with more than 303 posts and thousands of members by 1867.

The G.A.R.'s influence as a charitable organization was its public persona, while its influence on Post-Civil War Republican politics was kept in the shadows. G.A.R. was a powerful lobbying group for Republican candidates Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley. It was also a leader in advocating for a national memorial day and for the construction of buildings to honor Civil War soldiers. According to the 1949 Ironton Evening Tribune, the Dick Lambert Post in Ironton was the largest and most permanent of the posts organized after the war.

In a strong show of patriotism, thirteen Memorial Halls, built to honor Civil War soldiers, were constructed in Ohio from 1876 to 1925. As of 1991, eleven were still extant. Ohio's Memorial Halls are concentrated geographically in central and south-central Ohio with the exception of the one built in Toledo in 1886. (demolished 1955)

The construction of Memorial Halls in Ohio can be divided roughly into three identifiable chronological periods that were directly influenced by state funding legislation. From 1871-1876, private citizens formed Memorial Associations to raise funds for the construction of memorials. At the same time, state law allowed funds to be raised from a tax levy, approved by voters and the issuance of bonds to match private money for construction of "Monuments or Monumental Buildings." Legislation passed from 1884-1886 allowed cities of specific populations and size to issue bonds up to $40,000 or to build a memorial hall or a building to be used as an armory for the Ohio National Guard. Alternately, county commissions could also partner with solders' memorial associations to issue bonds for relatively small projects. Legislation was passed in 1902 and amended in 1906 to allow counties to post a levy for funds up to $250,000 to construct what was termed a 'County Memorial Building'.

Ironton's G.A.R. Memorial Hall was one of six Memorial Halls built between 1886 and prior to 1900. Toledo, Mansfield, Zanesville, Circleville and Newark all built Halls during the same time period. All of these monumental buildings exhibit Romanesque architectural characteristics except for the Renaissance Revival one built in Newark.

In Ironton, in conjunction with the G.A.R., The Women's Relief Corps (W.R.C.) was integral in supporting the Memorial Hall fund and Memorial Day activities. Women's Relief Corps was founded in 1882 as an auxiliary group to the G.A.R. and according to numerous articles were a very active group in Ironton. They held separate monthly meetings in Memorial Hall inviting their own speakers and organizing various fund raisers to support the G.A.R. These two organizations seemed very connected to the rest of the G.A.R. organizations in the state of Ohio. For example, according to the November 11^th, 1909 Ironton Register, the W.R.C. had a combined membership of 12,383 in Ohio and had collected more than $15,181.41.

In 1868, the G.A.R. helped organize the first Ironton Memorial Day parade. The Memorial Day parade is recognized by the Ohio Historical Society (O.H.S.) as the oldest continuing Memorial Day observance in the nation. The O.H.S. plaque, located in the central lawn of the Lawrence County Court House, states:

Today, the parade draws in nearly 40,000 spectators from the tri-state area and is a patriotic focal point for the area.

As the number of active Ironton G.A.R. veterans grew, the post approached the city on November 15^th, 1887 to build a hall for the veterans. Pooling funding from Dr. Caleb Briggs to create a public library, the Post saw an opportunity to build a large civic building for their organization and for the city. Dr. Briggs was a locally prominent man. Having originated from North Rochester, Massachusetts, he came to the region in 1837 as part of a geological surveying team scouting local natural resources. He later became wealthy in association with his work in the Hanging Rock district in the blast iron furnaces. He was instrumental in founding Ironton and later became the postmaster of the fledgling city and was instrumental in securing Ironton as the terminus of the Ironton Railroad, a pioneer transportation line of the region. Having never married, he moved to back to Massachusetts after 1867. He continued his philanthropic mission in Ironton until his death in 1883.

The Dick Lambert Post and the Women's Relief Corps agreed to hold a Grand Army Fair, held December 19-24 1887, at the Ironton Rink to raise money to buy ground and erect a building for the G.A.R. The fair was a success and raised nearly $5,000. Obviously, it was not enough money to complete such a monumental building. The G.A.R. sought an application from the City Council to vote for property tax increase to fund Memorial Hall. The Ironton City Council passed the application to the Ohio State Senate and on March 3^rd, 1890, the Ohio Legislature passed Bill 804 "Providing for the erection of a Soldiers' Memorial Hall at Ironton, Ohio." With its passing, Ironton voters were authorized to vote on a property tax and for the city to bond the remaining $20,000 needed for constructing the future home of the Grand Army of the Republic. The property tax increase was passed in the spring of 1889.

Dr. Briggs also established the Ironton Library Association and the Ironton Scientific Association. The Ironton Scientific Association was a group of professionals who were concerned with the educational and scientific advancement of the Ironton Region. These groups were consolidated into the Briggs Library Institute, an organization "perfected to conserve" which possessed a $25,000 fund donated by Dr. Briggs. This fund was used to establish a public library that would be housed in the G.A.R. Hall.

Originally, the city pledged their portion of Lincoln Park, the current location of the Lawrence County Court House, as a location for the G.A.R. Hall. This was not without some controversy. The lower wards, supported by the most affluent individuals, wanted Memorial Hall to be placed on Market Street, between Fourth and Railroad Streets. The City of Ironton asked then for the lower wards to pay 60 percent of taxes, the Third Ward alone would pay 42 percent. The controversy continued when it was discovered that only the Lincoln Park location was allowable by the resolution adopted in Dec 20, 1889, unless another location was approved by the G.A.R. Eventually, the Market Street location was authorized by the G.A.R.

Ground was broken in May 1891 and the corner stone was laid July 28^th, 1891. The contents were listed in the August Ironton Register. The building was dedicated in a three day event October 17^th - 19^th, 1892 by General Hurst, a decorated Civil War commander from the Chillicothe, Ohio Brigade. A quote from the Ironton Register for this event stated "May it ever stand, not only as a monument to courage and duty, but as a shrine from which the gladsome light of civic virtue may always shine." All the festivities were recorded in the Ironton Register and it appears it was certainly a memorable affair for the city. The architect, Joseph Yost, was also in attendance, formally handing over the keys to the building after receiving his final payments.

Memorial Hall immediately became the center of life in the growing city. According to the June 1^st, 1893 Ironton Register, Memorial Hall became a main focus of the Ironton Memorial Day Parade. The Grand Army and veterans gathered at there at 8 A.M., and led the Brownstead Brass Band to Adams Street where they met the local school children, who marched the parade. The tradition of children marching through the parade was practiced well into the 1960's. The library, through Dr. Briggs' Ironton Scientific Association, quickly swelled to over 6,000 volumes through the $3.00 fee charged to members. Social gatherings were held regularly on the second floor chamber and balcony, such as the Memorial to President McKinley as shown on the postcard.

Memorial Hall housed the G.A.R. and W.R.C. on the first floor, along with the public library. The G.A.R. was granted trusteeship of the building and was responsible for its upkeep. In addition, the city commission chamber was on the second floor and the city municipal office located in the basement. Programs provided veterans a place to get assistance, gather, read, and even a place to stay if needed. The building also became the site of funerals for veterans. The large building allowed the municipal government to expand to meet the needs of the ever-growing city. The municipal courts also began using the building, making the building the center of activity for many aspects of the residents' lives.

In 1905, lightning struck the building, setting off a blaze that destroyed the interior and damaged the upper portions of the masonry walls and roof. At the time, the building housed the Armory for Company 1 of the Seventh Regiment. The first floor contained office rooms and reading rooms on either side. The second floor contained an auditorium with a seating capacity of around nine hundred. Unfortunately, all details of the building pre-fire were lost and these general descriptions from the Ironton Register are all that remains.

The library housed in the building was a complete loss, as all 6,000 volumes were destroyed at an estimated value of $6,000 to $7,000 of that time. The library only held $2,000 in insurance, but Dr. Briggs, through the fund established in his name, funded the restoration of the building and Briggs Free Public Library re-occupied the first floor along with the G.A.R and W.R.C after restoration.

Initially, the city was unsure of its ability to pay for the restoration costs. The city considered appealing to Andrew Carnegie but with bonds sold by the city, in conjunction with Dr. Briggs' support, the city was able to fund the project. After the fire, the building's exterior was changed slightly as the top floor masonry walls were reconstructed with five windows along each side, replacing the ten original half-sized windows.

The reconstruction appears to be a largely local project. Local Ironton architect, T.S. Murray was tapped for the reconstruction and by early July 1907 he had completed drawings and specifications. The windows were made to match the first floor windows. The corner turrets on the east and west towers were also replaced with a simplified corbelled window.

By September 16^th, 1909, the library trustees were preparing to install furniture purchased from New York and by December 1909 the G.A.R had resumed its monthly meetings. In addition to the G.A.R., the Spanish War Veterans also made their home in the reconstructed Memorial Hall. The building was once again the center of city life. By 1910, after the events of the fire, The Briggs Free Public Library fund amounted to $64,000 and Miss Winifred Morton was in charge of 4,000 books.

In 1919, the American Legion joined the G.A.R. and Spanish American Veterans in Memorial Hall. The American Legion originated as a fraternal order to serve soldiers returning from Europe after World War I. The Frank Goldcamp Post of the American Legion met regularly at Memorial Hall during their highest membership. Frank Goldcamp was killed by Germans while rescuing a fellow soldier from "No Man's Land", after German's had "riddled his legs with bullets". They and the G.A.R. continued to schedule Memorial Day parades, until their membership numbers declined. The building remained the focus of life within the city for some time.

By 1949, the building had been taken over by the city except for the large meeting room still occupied by the American Legion. At this time the basement floor was occupied by the Police Department and the Recreations Bureau. The first floor contained the offices of City Manager, City auditor, Water Department and Water Works Engineer as well as the Municipal Court offices and hearing room on the first floor in the North section of the building. The sheriff's office was the only department on the second floor. Things continued to change as the library constructed its own building, and the local American Legion lost its charter in 1954 and vacated the building. Finally in 1995, the city left the building and it remains vacant to this day. However, the Ironton Memorial Day Parade still forms in front of the old building.

The building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style by Joseph Yost, a prolific prominent architect from Columbus, Ohio. His work included many county courthouses, public buildings, facilities for Ohio State University and he was instrumental in the founding of the Association of Ohio Architects. Ohio county courthouses that Yost designed, several in partnership with Frank L. Packard, include Guernsey, Belmont, Holmes, Miami, Perry, Harrison, Wood, Wyandot, and Marion. Much of his work completed prior to this building was Neoclassical, illustrated by Wyandot and Marion County Courthouses.

Yost began his architectural practice in Bellaire, Ohio in 1870 and later established his office in Columbus. He gained his reputation from work on courthouses, schools and public institutions. He became one of the most well- known architects in Columbus, if not Ohio and was instrumental in establishing the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Ohio. He was initially a Fellow of the Western Association of Architects, but later joined both the Ohio Chapter of the AIA and the Fellowship. Yost partnered with another well-known Ohio architect, Frank L. Packard in 1892 to establish the firm Yost & Packard Architects. Packard had studied architecture and engineering at the Ohio State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After working in New York, he moved to Columbus in 1883. In their seven years of partnership, Yost & Packard established a prominent reputation based on their prolific work in designing public buildings characterized by the distinctive Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style characterized by robust masonry-often Berea sandstone-rich ornamentation, turrets and towers-features found on Ironton's G.A.R. Memorial Hall.

The Richardsonian Romanesque style originated with Boston architect, Henry Hobson Richardson who was instrumental in articulating Romanesque detailing, especially French, Byzantine and Spanish to American public buildings in the 1870s. Typical characteristics of the style include heavy round arches, polychromatic wall treatment, rugged masonry constructed heavy thick walls and deeply articulated door openings. Often incorporated into the design are short robust columns or rock faced stone piers, stone belt courses, small windows and heavy towers. In Ohio, two important examples of the style helped spread its popularity; Charles F. Schweinfurth's Everett House in Cleveland (1883, demolished) and James McLaughlin's Cincinnati Art Museum (1882-1885).

Yost's original design for the G.A.R. Memorial Hall utilized many of these typical Richardsonian Romanesque stylistic features. The robust curved stone facade, prominent tower and cavernous entrance presented a strong, substantial facade for the building that befitted its intended use and tenant. After the fire in 1905, local architect, T. S. Murray designed a rebuilt second story to complement those features designed by Yost that remained. The north and south upper elevations were reconstructed to mimic Yost's lower elevation.

The buildings of Ironton represent a large and varied group of architectural styles. Many Federal, Georgian, Neo-Gothic, Late Victorian, eclectic 19^th century revival buildings remain, but the G.A.R. Memorial Hall is the only example of Richardsonian Romanesque still in existence in the city. Ironton's rust belt economy has continued to decline since the 1970's. As a result vacancy has taken a toll on many of the buildings. Rampant disinvestment and destruction of buildings has left Ironton with empty lots and parking lots where excellent 19^th century buildings once stood, but were no longer sustainable. As the city continues to lose its few non-residential 19^th century buildings, Memorial Hall, alone, represents a prevalent style of architecture common during the early years of the city. Even though photos of the city show other buildings constructed in the style, such as Kingsbury Elementary School, they have been lost to time.

Built after the bloody and decisive Civil War as the memorial to the men of Lawrence County who sacrificed all for their country, it became intertwined with, and significant to the lives of the people of Ironton and civil government. Various veterans groups, women's organizations, and the city's own government occupied the building for over a hundred years. According to the Ironton Evening Tribune, Memorial Hall was home to the largest and most active G.A.R. post in the United States, a very powerful political and social organization in local, state and national politics. It stood as a monument of pride for the Appalachian county. It held important social significance as it was the site where school children and veterans gathered to kick off the longest running Memorial Day parade in the nation, city held funerals and services for men and women who had served the armed forces. G.A.R. Memorial Hall is a significant representation of the patriotic fervor experienced by survivors of the traumatic and tragic American Civil War-an event that touched virtually all Americans.

Building Description

Memorial Hall was built as a meeting place for the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) in 1892. It is sited on an entire level block in what was formerly Market Square, the city's farmers' market. The building sits in the center of the half acre property with large lawns to the front and rear. It is in a residential zone abutting the main commercial district. The residential zone to the north and the commercial zone to the east are the original parts of the city. Memorial Hall is located at the corner of 4^th and Railroad Streets. These are both dominant city streets and the main entrance fronts Railroad Street.

The rectangular building is 108 feet long by 60 feet wide and 40 feet tall at the parapet. A hip roof sat inside the parapet wall with internal gutters, deterioration resulted in a collapse and removal of the roof. It is currently covered with a temporary steel framed protective system. All four corners have truncated tower like structures and the one on the south corner of the building rises to 60 feet and was originally topped with a tall pointed steeple roof which has been removed. The building has load bearing masonry exterior walls with an internal wood framed structure. The sandstone foundation rises out of the ground to the first floor window sills. The facade stone is a rusticated random buff Amherst with window heads on the basement level comprised of single large stones.

From the sill line up, the building is a light buff brick with a darker accent brick forming the rounded arches of each window. The second floor window sill has a sandstone band. Excluding the towers, there are 15 windows on each side of the building, five per floor. All exterior windows on the first and second floor are semi-circular arched window and march rhythmically along each elevation. The first floor window's bottom portion is a glazed 3x3 mullion grid with a blind semicircular transom.

Second floor windows are similar to the first floor, but the bottom portion is more square, while the transom arch is a true semicircle. The bottom windows are glazed double hung, with an engaged column separating. Each corner tower has two small windows, one for each floor. The rear of the building has only three windows per floor. These windows are similar to the second story windows. The top of the brick wall has an ornamental painted tin frieze and coping. This metal frieze extends around the small brick towers but abuts the large main tower. Corbelled windows accent the top of each small tower.

The current windows are the original windows installed after the devastating fire in 1905. A few sections of windows are missing; these are the portion of the windows without plywood. Currently, these windows have plywood nailed to the front to protect them from further decay and trespassing.

The main entrance projects from the building with curving walls on each side extending ten feet beyond the main facade. These walls rise above the second floor line to form a balcony above the main entrance. Two sets of double doors with a rounded arched transom open on to the balcony from the second floor. One set of doors is located directly above the main entrance doors and the second set is to the east corner. The entrance, along with the main tower, is of rusticated Amherst stone. Carved stone reliefs of an eagle and of the G.A.R. emblem are set in the stone tower. The tower also has two tall narrow windows in the top third of the tower and has two semi-circle windows below those tall windows just above the second floor.

The main entrance is a series of archivolts; concentric stone arches. Each archivolt rests on columnettes, short stone columns that line the path to the main entrance. A grand stone stair leads to the front entry door. After the fire in 1905 the original entrance consisted of double wood doors, topped with an arched window, acting as Romanesque tympanum, which is further divided into a trefoil motif and etched with the Grand Army of the Republic insignia. All exterior wood and the metal frieze are painted white. Two small doors enter the basement from each side of the entrance project at grade level.

The rear of the building has a stone double-sided exit stair from the first floor with stone walls along each side. A garage opening exists from the basement at the rear next to the building chimney which rises in the north corner.

Major changes occurred to the building in 1905 when the building was struck by lightning and burned. The two most notable changes to the exterior were to the north and south second floor elevations and minor corner towers. Prior to the fire, the second floor walls had ten half size windows along each side with a stone column between each window and a stone arch. The north and south upper elevations were reconstructed as they are today, mimicking Yost's lower elevation. At the east and west towers brick turrets, with corbelled windows, were constructed to support stone statues of Athena Nike and Armored Athena. Both of these features were severely damaged, removed and replaced with the current exterior in 1908. The top of the main tower survived the fire and is present in the pictures following the reconstruction but disappears sometime before the 1950s.

After the fire, the interior was completely removed and rebuilt. Little is known of the original floor plan other than a simple line drawing, published in 1892. In 1908 the interior was rebuilt, not by Yost who had left Ohio at the time and moved to New York, but by the local firm T.S. Murray. There was limited budget and as such, the interior finish was very frugal and simplistic, but largely based on Yost's original layout.

The entrance foyer is 15 feet by 30 feet as it includes the tower. The foyer has wood floors, flush plaster walls and a pressed tin ceiling. Wood trim is minimal with a 6 inch base and a modest 4 inch casing around doors. The main feature of the lobby is the stair which works its way up each wall of the tower. It is a wood stair with wood railing, spindles, and a large newel post. Beyond the foyer, the building is quite plain in comparison to the exterior.

All interior floors are wood and the walls are flush plaster as are most ceilings. The wood trim is small and simple The base is 6 inches with a minor ogee at the top. Door jambs are square lumber with eased edges and plinth block and a minor trim at the top. Working from an existing line sketch published in 1892, the plan was a basic double loaded corridor leading from the main foyer to the rear exit. Both sides of the corridor had several large rooms and this configuration appears to have been changed multiple times until the building's abandonment in 1996 The large rooms created after the reconstruction were continually being divided and reconfigured to suit the city's needs. Within the basement the jail cells still remain. The basement has large windows that are only partially submerged three feet below the street.

In the early 1980's an attempt was made by the City of Ironton to make the building more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A portion of the main entrance stair was removed to allow for a possible chair lift. The original concrete stair was removed and capped with a concrete masonry unit wall; this project was never completed. Also removed were the original double wooden doors. They were replaced with an aluminum storefront entryway to comply with ADA requirements.

Now the building is threatened with a second round of loss. After the city moved its offices out of the building in 1996, it fell vacant. Roof leaks coupled with a violent thunderstorm on August 16^th, 2007, caused building's rear roof to collapse in recent years and destroyed most of the rear interior of the building. Since the building incorporates a wood frame structure, water entering into the building through a faulty perimeter gutter saturated the joist where they join the masonry walls and caused the ends of the roof rafters and second floor joist to rot. The thunderstorm caused the roof in the rear of the building to fall onto the second floor which also weakened by rot collapsed to the first floor. The roof has since been removed and the building protected by a temporary steel framed covering system.

The first floor currently remains stable. While the front half of the building, roof and floors, remains in relative sound condition, the rear is open to the weather. The weather continues to be a problem for the plaster walls and wood floor. This rot has made the building interior structure unsafe but repairable and at the rear re-buildable. The masonry exterior shell of the building; the most significant portion of the original building, remains unharmed and in excellent condition. The windows were boarded up when the city left the building and the plywood has mostly protected them from the weather. They appear to be restorable. The portion of the interior with architectural significance, the foyer remains intact including the first floor stair, and tin ceiling.

East Front Facade of Memorial Hall facing Rail Road Street (2006)

Rear West Facade of Memorial Hall showing the double-sided stone staircase and window configuration (2006)

South side Facade of Memorial Hall facing 4^th Street (2006)

Front and Side facade showing tower configuration, entry staircase, and front facade wall projects (2006)

Front portal of the building showing arched trefoil stenciled windows and staircase (2006)

Interior of front entryway showing the arched trefoil stenciled windows (2006)

Interior of double loaded corridor with minimal decoration and trim, looking towards the front entry on the second floor (2006)

Interior of double loaded corridor with minimal decoration and trim, looking towards the rear of the building on the second floor (2006)

Interior of double loaded corridor with minimal decoration and trim, looking towards the rear of the building on the first floor (2006)

Front of facade, from the North side, showing curved wall projection (2006)

Interior of municipal court room showing a desk left from the city's occupation of the building (2006)

Interior of second floor offices. Most of this configuration has been renovated from the 1907 rebuilding (2006)

Existing tin ceiling behind the later added acoustical tile drop ceiling (2006)

Interior of basement level showing existing jail cells (2006)

Interior of basement level showing existing jail cells (2006)

Tin ceiling in front lobby space behind the front arched stone portal (2006)

Front lobby staircase ascending through stair tower to the second floor (2006)