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One of the great perks of working in downtown Steubenville is that just near Historic Fort Steuben is the Antiques Warehouse located in the old Denmark's Building. Here one can spend a lot of time perusing three floors of treasures. Whenever I have a few minutes, and the weather is nice, I pop on over and visit my favorite booths. I am always on the lookout for a new object to add to my collection but undoubtedly I stumble upon something, like a piece of furniture, for example, that I consider buying. Despite my father's words ringing in my head that the best collectibles are those one could carry home in one's pocket, I sometimes fall for the allure of the antique.
On a recent visit to the Antiques Warehouse I was delighted to find a little souvenir booklet from the dedication of the Weirton Community Center. As it turns out, the center was dedicated in March of 1952, exactly 70 years ago this month. As a historian, I can't let the center anniversary go by without writing about the great accomplishment of the city fathers, citizens and employees of Weirton Steel who made this building possible. Without their investment in our community so long ago, we may not have had this facility as the center of our community for the past 70 years.
The story of the center actually began in 1948, as it was explained in the February edition of the Weirton Steel Employees Bulletin. It noted that "For many, many years, the people of Weirton have seen the need of a centrally located community institution to provide healthful recreation for children and adults and around which the cultural life of the city could revolve. The proposed new Weirton Community Center will be such a place, the fulfillment of a civic dream."
And a dream it was! The new city of Weirton at that time was less than a year old. The city had been incorporated in April, and our first mayor, Thomas Millsop, was elected on June 1, 1947. Millsop had a very interesting history in his own right, working his way up through Weirton Steel management, and by this time in 1947 he had been president of Weirton Steel since 1936. Millsop would serve two terms as mayor of Weirton, and under his leadership, much was accomplished. Most notable was the construction of the Weirton General Hospital and the community center.
The estimated cost for the center, as explained by the Bulletin in 1948, was more than $1 million. The organization that was set up to raise the funds was first the Community Service Council, then the Community Center Association with Ray M. Corll serving as president.
When the fundraising campaigned kicked off in February of 1948, hopes were high that the people of the community would answer the call to donate. Weirton Steel generously donated $500,000 to the project, Thomas Millsop personally donated $25,000 and E.T. Weir, founder of Weirton Steel, donated $50,000.
The employees of Weirton Steel, on the urging of the Weirton Independent Union and the Community Service Council and Community Center Association, set up a plan in which employees could donate one day's wages over five pay periods over three years to the project. This works out to a full week's pay for each employee toward the endeavor. Incredibly in just 17 days, the full amount of the building was pledged.
According to David Javersak in his book "History of Weirton," 15,000 contributors donated to the fund with the citizens donating around $650,000 of the total cost.
In 1950, final plans were drawn up by Steubenville architect John J. Rietz. His design is solidly what architectural historians would call now mid-century modern. And the drawings submitted by Rietz are generally what we see today in the building. The building originally was designed to encompass 68,000 square feet of floor space. The "hotel-like" lobby would feature terrazzo floors, wood paneling and a large mural painted by Pittsburgh artist Edwin P. Couse. Ground was broken in 1950 with the Wheeling firm of Engstrom and Wynn taking on the construction.
Finally in February of 1952, the center was completed, and dedication ceremonies took place on March 1 and 2, 1952. The final cost amounted to $1,250,000 -- that's around $13.5 million in today's money. The dedication of the building was elaborate with the officials turning over the building to the mayor and the City of Weirton. The dedication address was given by non other than E. T. Weir, followed by the Weirton Steel Male Chorus. The following day, the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra gave a concert. On March 4, Eleanor Steber of the Metropolitan Opera performed on stage.
What greeted the estimated 35,000 visitors during those few days was exciting. Most notably was the 75-by-35 foot swimming pool holding 121,000 gallons of water that was recycled every eight hours. Above the pool, more than 150 spectators could watch the aquatic activities. Dressing rooms near the pool were modern, and hairdryers were provided in the women's dressing rooms.
The youth center was a popular spot with its own entrance. This center featured a large room for events, such as dances, that were held for youth. A snack bar was a popular spot in the youth center in those days.
The Weirton Library was located in the building operated by the Weirton Women's Club. The 12,000 or so books were moved by the Boy Scouts, the Key Club and the Blue Jean Council to the new facility.
The gym was state of the art and could hold more than 2,000 people for an event, or 1,600 for a basketball game. The stage in the gym was designed to accommodate larger productions due to a removable wall in the rear of the stage.
During that first March, Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra performed on stage in addition to the Weir High Band and the University of Michigan Symphony Band. A dining hall, capable of handling community events came accompanied by a large kitchen for the preparation of meals. Other attractions included meeting rooms, ante rooms, craft and exercise rooms, in addition to a handball courts and a youth gym for kids under 12. A sponsor's room was included as a lounge area for men who gave more than $50 a year to the center.
Over the years the center has remained a focal point of our community. In 1965 the center was renamed for our first mayor, Thomas Millsop. At the dedication of the building in 1952, Millsop said, "The new community center is a product stamped: "Made of Weirton Teamwork." It was provided by the people for the people and how much good derives from it depends in the final analysis on the people. "I think the longevity of the building and the important services that are contained therein is a testament of its irreplaceable value in our community.
Even after 70 years, the next generation of Weirton citizens continues to benefit from that investment.