The Apex Club was a private Black social club located on Aurora Road (Route 43) near Bedford for a short time in 1936-37. Club president Charles V. Carr was a very prominent African American attorney during this time. Carr’s success led him to be a city councilman later in his life. The club featured both indoor and outdoor events such as musical acts, dancing, dining, tennis, softball, and picnics. In 1937 Apex Club went through some major renovations adding new tennis courts and revamping the ballroom and dining rooms. It even had a menu overhaul adding food such as fresh steaks and milk-fed chicken. Sadly, Aurora Road clubhouse closed later that year, most likely due to being closed for six months previously for the renovations and lack of business during that time. However, Carr’s organization moved back to the building where his law office was located on 2270 East 55th Street near Central Avenue in Cleveland, where it remained into the 1970s.
Resources
- “Apex Club Now Open.” Call & Post. May 28, 1936.
- “On the Avenue With T.D.S.” Call & Post. April 22, 1937.
- “Plan Extension of Apex Services.” Call & Post. April 29, 1937.
- Drake, Robert J. “4 Bars Lose Permits for Racket Link.” Plain Dealer. May 5, 1955.
- Hirschfeld, Wilson. “Carr’s Wife Files Contempt Charges; Lists His Income.” Plain Dealer. May 23, 1951.