The Martin Luther King Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex is a historic building in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood of

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. It was built in 1925 as the Pythian Temple and James Pythian Theater, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places and Columbus Register of Historic Properties in 1983. The building was renovated into the King Arts Complex in 1987, and was vacated in 2019. Community leaders restored the building's use as an arts center in 2021.

History

The Pythian Temple was designed in the Colonial Revival architectural style by

Samuel Plato Samuel M. Plato (1882–1957) was an American architect and building contractor who is noted for his work on federal housing projects and U.S. post offices, as well as designing and building other structures in the United States such as privat ...

, an African-American architect, and the only example of his work in Columbus. It was financed by the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...

, a Black fraternal organization, and opened in 1926 and could accommodate roughly 1,000 people with a theatre, retail, offices, and lodge rooms. It quickly became the center of entertainment in the neighborhood, hosting performers including

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

, Count Basie,

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

and the Cotton Club Dancers. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1983. In 1987, the temple was renovated by African-American owned architecture firm

Moody Nolan Moody Nolan is based in Columbus, Ohio and is the largest African-American owned and operated architecture firm in the United States. In 2021, it was the recipient of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Firm Award. The firm pr ...

to combine with Garfield Elementary School. The complex was renamed as the Martin Luther King Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex, in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The building was listed as one of the most endangered sites in the city, in

Columbus Landmarks The Columbus Landmarks Foundation, known as Columbus Landmarks, is a nonprofit historic preservation organization in Columbus, Ohio. The foundation is best-known for its list of endangered sites in the city and its annual design award, given to ...

' 2021 list. The King Arts Complex vacated the building in 2019, and a portion of it was listed for sale in 2020. In July 2021, the temple was entered a purchase agreement with the owners by Maroon Arts Group, a Black-led nonprofit based in the neighborhood. The group entered the agreement after the community expressed a desire to save the building.

References

External links

* {{Columbus Register of Historic Properties Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Colonial Revival architecture in Ohio Theatres completed in 1925 Knights of Pythias buildings Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Columbus, Ohio Columbus Register properties Endangered buildings in Columbus, Ohio King-Lincoln Bronzeville Theatres in Columbus, Ohio Memorials to Martin Luther King Jr.

History

See also

References

External links