Constructed in 1940, the Cleveland Coast Guard Station was considered to be one of the finest Stations in the country for much of its operational period. Prior to the completion of the station that currently stands on the pier, a station that housed the Life Saving Service stood at the same location which had been constructed in 1876. The Life Saving Service operated from this post until 1915 when it was incorporated into the U.S Coast Guard and continued to utilize the original buildings until 1940 when they were razed to make way for the new station.
The person chosen to oversee the completion of the new station was native Clevelander and prominent architect John Milton Dyer. Dyer had grown up in Cleveland where he attended Central High School and earned a scholarship to attend The Case Institute of Technology and later went on to study architecture in Europe. Upon returning from Europe Dyer began establishing himself in Cleveland as a capable architect, garnering notable construction projects including the First Methodist Church at Euclid Avenue and E. 30th Street, the Venice Apartments, the Cleveland Athletic Club, and City Hall. Dyer also had ambitious plans for Cleveland’s lakefront which included a recreation pier, a large airport, and civic center but in the end he would only get to the contract for one lakefront project, the Coast Guard Station.
(Listen to graduate student Joseph Wickens discuss the architect’s intent: Wickens–architects-intent.)
For the project Dyer decided to employ the “Streamline Moderne” style of Art Deco design for the construction of the station, hoping to create the feeling from afar as well as for the visitors to the station that the station itself was a ship that was floating across Lake Erie. The Art Deco style came into prominence in the mid 1920s as a response to Art Nouveau and stressed functionality in its structures. Art Deco also stressed using modern building materials such as concrete, steel, and plaster without masking them or attempting to make them appear to be handcrafted. The Art Deco movement did not influence construction projects in Cleveland as profoundly as it did in other major cities across the country and as a result the Coast Guard Station is only one of a few buildings in the city that displays the style. There are others including the AT&T Huron Building on Huron Avenue and Fenn Tower on the campus of Cleveland State University which both exhibit the “Zig-Zag Moderne” style of Art Deco that characterized the skyscrapers of the 1920s as well as the Greyhound Bus Terminal which is another fine example of the streamline style that the station also displays.
(Listen to a description of the Coast Guard Station’s Art Deco elements: Art Deco Charcteristics)
The Coast Guard operated out of the station at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River for thirty-six years until 1976 when the Ninth District moved its headquarters to the 9TH Street pier. Since that time the station has stood largely abandon except for a brief period of time in the early 1990s when it was occupied by a night club which subsequently was forced to close due to patron accessibility issues. Now the station that was once one of the finest in the country and a source of pride for Clevelanders sits as dilapidated ruins alone on the pier jutting out into Lake Erie, a rundown shell of its former self.
Photograph Courtesy of Courtesy of Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press Collection, U.S Coast Guard Folder, 1940.
This photograph depicts the original U.S Life Saving Station that stood at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. Constructed in 1876 to house the Life Saving Service, the station operated in that capacity until 1915 when the service was officially incorporated into the U.S Coast Guard. The station remained in operation for another 25 years until 1940 when it was razed to make way for the new Coast Guard station that would replace it.
Photograph Courtesy of Courtesy of Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press Collection, Dyer Folder, 1955.
A native Clevelander who was educated at The Case Institute of Technology and later in Europe, John Milton Dyer was a prominent architect who directed such notable projects in Cleveland as the First Methodist Church at Euclid Avenue and E. 30th Street and City Hall. Dyer had big plans for Cleveland’s lake front which included a recreation pier, major airport, and large civic center. The only lakefront project he would get to direct however would be the U.S Coast Guard Station.
Photograph Courtesy of Courtesy of Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press Collection, U.S Coast Guard Folder, 1940.
At the time of the dedication ceremony featured above and for many years to follow, the U.S Coast Guard Station in Cleveland would be considered one of the finest stations in the country. The station which replaced the old Life Saving Station at the same location would house the Coast Guard for 36 years until the service moved its operations to the 9th street pier in 1976.
Photograph Courtesy of Courtesy of Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press Collection, U.S Coast Guard Folder, 1948.
When designing the Coast Guard Station, John Milton Dyer decided on the “streamline moderne” style of Art Deco design for the project. The curved guides of the boat slip as well as curved windows and outside wall on the south end of the main building emphasizes the streamline look and aerodynamic feel that Dyer desired. Adding functionality to the structure, an Art Deco component, is the flat roof which allows for additional storeys and creates less resistance against the brutal Lake Erie weather.
Photograph Courtesy of Christopher Busta-Peck, clevelandareahistory.com, “The Cleveland Coast Guard Station”, December 31, 2009.
The Ninth District Coast Guard moved its headquarters to the 9th Street pier in 1976. Since that time the old station has remained abandoned except for a brief period when it housed a nightclub that subsequently closed due to problems with accessibility. Now the station, which was at one time considered to be one of the finest in the country, sits as dilapidated ruins at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River.
Same comments on bus-station story apply here. Streamline Moderne might be too specific; at the least explain it more deeply. Keep the entry focused and lively; try to avoid being encyclopedic. I would focus, perhaps, with the story of the architect. It brings the station to life.
Check photo sizes, captions, and credits.
altogether i think this narrative does a good job of telling the story of the coast guard station. you give a good definition of the art deco style and cite other examples of Dyer’s work and other art deco buildings in Cleveland. the description of the coast guard station, along with the picture, really gives a sense of the design of the building and the effect Dyer was going for. although it is not part of this assignment, i would be curious to see Dyer’s plans for the lakefront. also im not quite sure what the Life Saving Services is- was it a govt. precursor to the coast guard or some other organization. but altogether a nice narrative and description of the site.
This post was very coherent and very easy to follow. However i feel that the post needs a little more information on the future of the coast guard station.
Your narrative does not provide an exact location for the Coast Guard Station. In describing a site it helps to gives readers a location so they can visualize the place while they read, it gives more context to the story. Some detail about how many men were stationed there, how many boats it could dock, did the men live there, these things give your story more meaning I think. Who curretnly owns the structure and the land it sits on? Any fture plans for it? Some stories about lake rescues from this station would make the story more interesting too, if any exist. An interview with someone who was stationed there would be great I think.
I like the photos, they need titles though. Maybe a different description for them as well, you pulled sentences straight from your narrative to describe the them. A photo of one or more of the boats the Coast Guard used at this station would add more context to your story.
What kinds of operations did the Coast Guard perform out of this station? Were there cutters?
Being “one of the finest Stations in the country for much of its operational period”, why was the station not saved or preserved as a museum possibly.
Excellent narrative. I read this story without questioning any of the details, which makes me feel that you told a well-rounded story. After having read it, I feel that you could have perhaps included a few notable events that may have happened, or included some detail of day-to-day operations. Perhaps a mention of the lives saved during Coast Guard activity.
I really like that you were able to show change over time (which is something that I had trouble with in my posts). The flow of this piece is excellent, and does not go off in any side stories that take away from the main narrative.
The architectural beauty of this building, and the unfortunate circumstances that lead to its abandonment puts a small pit in my stomach. Simply looking at the Coast Guard building in its prime, and realizing that it was built in the 1940′s is astonishing. It is no wonder that it was considered to be one of the finest stations in the country. If this is a representation of the Art Deco movement then I would love to see more of it. Which is one of the only improvements that I would have to say about this article. Since, as you said, the Art Deco movement did not have a profound influence on Cleveland, it is not prominent in much of Cleveland’s architecture. In order to tell more of the story of the Art Deco movement, I would include photos of other buildings that have similar stories as this one. That way, you can develop the underlying story that inspired this modern architecture. You did say that there were a few other Cleveland buildings, like Fenn Tower, that were influenced by the Art Deco movement. Perhaps you could include them or other buildings that represent the movement.
You have a rich story, show us more!
Good stuff. There is a little repetition with it being the “finest station…”. I would suggest a little re-wording. I would also consider putting in a picture or two in the beginning to break up the text. It will pique the reader’s interest more.