The Concordia Club was a cornerstone of Jewish life in Pittsburgh from the late 19th century until 2009.
Foundation on Pittsburgh’s North Side
In 1874, about forty Jewish men, primarily of German origin, met to form an association “to promote social and literary entertainment among its members,” according to its charter. The first president was Josiah Cohen, a respected teacher, lawyer, and judge. Jacob Eiseman served as president in 1884, the year the club was chartered. Most of its early members — and nearly all of its early officers — belonged to Rodef Shalom Congregation.
Social clubs like the Concordia sprang up across the United States at a time when Jews were routinely denied membership in prominent social and business clubs. In Pittsburgh, for example, the Duquesne Club did not begin admitting Jewish members until 1968. The Concordia Club was sometimes referred to as the “Jewish Duquesne Club.”
The Club’s first home was a rented house on Stockton Avenue in Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh’s North Side). In the late 1870s, a dance hall was added to the building. The Club purchased the property in 1890, later replacing it with a new clubhouse on the same site, built at a cost of about $75,000. Membership at the time numbered 175.
Move to Oakland
Over the next two decades, the Club grew into a leading social institution for the Jewish community, even as the community shifted eastward toward neighborhoods such as Squirrel Hill. By 1913, more than 95 percent of members lived in Squirrel Hill. That year, the Club moved to a new home on O’Hara Street in the Schenley Farms district of Oakland. Designed by prominent Pittsburgh architect Charles Bickel, the clubhouse was dedicated on Christmas Day, 1913, with a gala banquet. It featured a banquet hall, ballroom, library, lounges, sleeping quarters, billiard rooms, and bowling alleys.
When the building opened, it was considered one of the city’s most opulent, with elegant china, crystal, linens, and lavish floral arrangements. A 1915 Jewish Criterion article described it as “entirely complete with billiard rooms, banquet hall, rest and lounging parlors, reading quarters and sleeping accommodations.” In 1967, the Club added elaborate dark oak paneling salvaged from the Fort Pitt Hotel after its demolition.
The Concordia Club hosted themed dances, vaudeville shows, musical revues, amateur theater productions, and holiday celebrations. It was also the venue for countless private events, remaining a central gathering place for Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. At its peak, membership approached 300. My father worked at the Club for many years, and as an awkward teenager I took ballroom dance classes in its elegant ballroom — shown above in its restored state.
Sale to Pitt and Renovation
After 135 years, facing declining membership and financial strain, the Club sold the building to the University of Pittsburgh. It closed on December 14, 2009.
Pitt undertook a $5.8 million restoration and renovation, completed in April 2011. The project preserved much of the historic character while creating nearly 35,000 square feet of space to ease shortages in student meeting, event, and office facilities at the William Pitt Union.
Upgrades included a new roof, modernized heating and cooling, improved lighting, and reconfigured interiors. The first floor now houses the oak-paneled lounge and a dining/meeting room. Upstairs, the 450-person ballroom — with its balcony, arched windows, and small stage — was restored, including gold leaf trim, reopened balcony access, and refurbished chandeliers by their original Pittsburgh maker. The basement is used for student organization storage, and the building also houses the Math Assistance Center, the Freshman Studies Program, and the Writing Center.
Pitt’s renovation was remarkably respectful of the Club’s history. The building’s signature oak paneling and elegant ballroom continue to be enjoyed — now by the university community that dominates the Oakland neighborhood.
“My earliest memories of the Concordia Club are of me as a little girl going to family dinners and parties, excited to know that upon entering the foyer I would be greeted with the warmth and safety of a place where the best of memories would be made.”
— Rochelle Sufrin
Sources:
Wikipedia | Historic Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle | RSH Architects | Saying goodbye to the Concordia Club | Father Pitt