4939 Broadway Avenue
Bohemian National Hall, American Sokol
I posted about the Bohemian National Hall at Tillman and Butternut Streets in Southwest Detroit a few weeks ago. On a recent stop in Cleveland, Ohio, I couldn’t help but document a building of the same name.
Broadway Avenue has many historic buildings that date back to the neighborhood’s Slavic roots. Cleveland’s Bohemian National Hall at 4939 Broadway Avenue was completed in 1897. It may have been related to the Bohemian Turners, similar to the building in Detroit.
Like other Chezch and Slavic ethnic halls across the country, the Bohemian National Hall had ties with socialist groups. Businesses renting space there were frequently advertised in the Echo: Wochenblatt der Vereinigten Deutschen Socialisten Clevelands (Weekly of the United German Socialists of Cleveland). This doesn’t mean they supported their causes, but there was a link there, at the least.
In October 1915, Chech and Slovak organizations met at the structure to discuss a group union. This meeting, known as the Cleveland Agreement of 1915, is widely listed as one of the building blocks for the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The Pittsburgh Agreement of 1918 put a bow on the movement, but those meetings in Cleveland were an essential step in the right direction.
Over the decades, the structure remained a home for Slavic immigrants and Americans to meet, learn new skills, perform, and celebrate their heritage.
The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and as a part of the Broadway Avenue Historic District in 1988. Many Cleveland HIstorians credit this structure as the first hall in the city built by an immigrant group.
Since 1975, the structure has been owned and operated by American Sokol. The word Sokol means falcon in Czech, but the definition has expanded to include a group founded in Prague in the 1860s with an initial focus on gymnastics that has translated to general physical fitness and cultural identity. American Sokol doesn’t date as far back as the group founded in Prague but has over two dozen locations nationwide, including one in Dearborn.
Today, the structure is home to community events, Slavic heritage archives, the Betty & Frank Hosticka Czech Museum, a Czech library, and other local organizations. The ornate ballroom, complete with a stage, is available to rent for weddings, concerts, fundraisers, and other special events. A dining room, kitchen, and bar are also available for rent.
Cleveland’s Bohemian National Hall is an excellent example of how historic structures can continue to be useful if the surrounding community is strong and the building is cared for. If you ever have the chance, I recommend checking out all of the Broadway Avenue Historic District. It’s no Detroit, but it’s worth a stop!
