Side A: The Cincinnati Club, a prominent Jewish social club founded in 1889, opened their clubhouse at 2840 Melrose Avenue in 1894. A.E. Elzner designed the brick and stone building in the Norman-Gothic style. It featured massive round towers, wide porches, a ballroom, billiard rooms, bowling alley, as well as ornate club rooms. The Cincinnati Club hosted lavish events that celebrated Jewish identity and community. As the Jewish population migrated north and east of Walnut Hills, the club dissolved. In 1922, the vacant clubhouse was purchased by the Disabled American Veterans of the World War (DAV). The DAV Clubhouse provided recreation, resources, and shelter to disabled veterans for over twenty years. The organization, founded in Cincinnati in 1920, led to the establishment of the Veterans Administration and improved support for wounded veterans nationwide.
Side B: The Walnut Hills YMCA was founded in 1944 and purchased the DAV Clubhouse in 1946. The history of the “Melrose Y” is intertwined with historical trends of Black migration, segregation, and the Civil Rights movement. Founded in an era of rampant racial discrimination, it thrived as a vital institution for the deeply rooted Black community living in Walnut Hills. Offering recreational, educational, and social programs, the branch was largely self-supported by volunteers and local fundraisers. More than a recreational facility, it also provided childcare, youth mentorship, and supported such Black organizations as the NAACP and the Greater New Light Baptist Church. The original building was demolished and replaced with a modernized facility (1967-1969), and, in its new home, the Melrose YMCA remained a cornerstone of the Walnut Hills community by fostering health, youth development, and civic engagement.
