The Beginning of the Community Center
By the end of the 1940s, Chagrin Falls Park residents increasingly recognized the need for organized activities, especially recreation for children in the Park.
Women in the community began raising money to hire someone to provide summer programming. They received contributions from employers for whom they worked in large homes throughout the Chagrin Valley, as well as donations from Chagrin Falls residents and others throughout the area. Fundraising picnics organized through the local Republican Club also contributed to the effort.
The First Building
The residence pictured below in Chagrin Falls Park, dated 1950 and indicates on the back that it was the home of the postal clerk. It later became the first home of the Chagrin Fall Park Community Center.
In early 1950, the community hired Edward Bowman, a young Army veteran, to lead its first summer recreation program in the school building. More than 100 children registered. Activities included handicrafts, Bible stories, music, and a variety of sports.
The program was organized and staffed by Park residents. As interest grew, residents and supporters from surrounding communities began working together to raise money for a permanent community center.
Chagrin Falls History Center & Museum Photograph Collection, 2016.FIC.14.
The group eventually acquired a building that had previously been part of a mink farm. In the early 1950s, Judge William K. Thomas, a Chagrin Falls resident and Geauga County Common Pleas judge, joined the effort along with Reverend John Townsend and members of the Chagrin Falls Junior Women’s Club (CFJWC).
Breaking Ground for the Community Center
Left to Right: Lula Hitchcock, James Jackson, Grace Bolden, Fanny Detwyler, Lucille Hitchcock
The Chagrin Falls Park Community Center was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1951. In 1952, the CFJWC received a $10,000 grant from The Kroger Co. The funding provided additional space for the Community Center and helped expand its programs.
The Community Center became an important institution in the life of Chagrin Falls Park, providing programs and services related to health, recreation, education, and family support.
Chagrin Falls Park Community Center Organizational Meeting Committee: November 1950
Front Row, L to R: Eloise Green, Mattie Pounds, Lillian Paris, Bessie Collins, Clara Adams, Magnolia Strickland, Viola Thomas, Leola Bryant, Daisy Ritchie, Grace Bolden.
Back Row, L to R: Steve Hall, Emory J. Lynch, Rev. William Peavy, William Brown, Elder George King, Rev. Ben L. Davis, Rev. Norman Spencer, Julius Harding, Willie Calloway, Elijah Norman.
This picture was taken in Park School (one room only) in Chagrin Falls Park. Another committee of people who lived outside the community met with this committee to elect the Trustees of the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center. Chagrin Falls History Center & Museum Photograph Collection: 2017.57.1.
Donated by Harriet Bolden.
In Recent Years…
In 2019, the Community Center reported providing 32,194 meals and 42 workshops and helping 94% of participating families move toward their goals.
Today, the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center continues its work of supporting individuals and families and strengthening connections between the Park and the surrounding community. More information about its current programs and services is available on the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center website.
Additional Reading
Article: Black History: Chagrin Falls Park Home to Generations
Chagrin Valley Today
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Feb 18, 2015 Updated Feb 20, 2015
Article: Residents Recall Days Gone By at Chagrin Falls Park Community
Chagrin Valley Today
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Mar 1, 2018