Narodni Sin Building

Constructed in 1906, this building served as the National Hall for the Czechoslovak Protective Society and provided recreational and meeting spaces as well as a community and cultural heritage center for Czech immigrants. This lodge reached its peak membership in the late 1920s. The CSPS also used this building for a gymnastics society and various soft drink and liquor establishments. The lodge was sold in 1971, due to high costs of maintenance and a reduction in active membership. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Narodni Sin building stands as a testament to the Czechoslovakian immigrants who began immigrating to Edwardsville in the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1874, a Czechoslovakian immigrant named Jan Kalal arrived in Edwardsville and, after realizing that local Czechoslovakians were struggling to economically establish themselves in the area, decided to form an organization to help his fellow immigrants achieve prosperity.¹ The result of his efforts was Svobodny Rolnik Lodge No.7, which held its first meeting at the "Wabash Motel" in Edwardsville on June 12th, 1875.² Kalal served as the Lodge's first president.³ One of the Lodge's primary roles was to provide "insurance benefits" to help struggling Czech immigrants weather the economic uncertainties of the late 19th century.⁴ Around 1881, the Lodge stopped meeting at the Wabash Hotel and moved to an unidentified "two-story building."⁵ However, by 1900, due to the "growth of the coal mining industry" in the area, which attracted more Czechoslovakian immigrants, the Lodge decided that a new building was needed to accommodate these new arrivals.⁶

Bearing the title of Narodni Sin and the acronym CSPS, which translate to "national hall" and "Czechoslovak Protective Society" respectively, in Czech, the new building, constructed primarily by Joseph Hlad, opened on October 14, 1906.⁷ While the building was a site for "recreation" through its many years in operation, which included picnics and dances, it also served as a location through which Czech immigrants could transmit their cultural heritage.⁸ A school was established through the Lodge in which students were "taught the Czech language, songs," and "culture" to ensure that the children of Czech immigrants adopted their parents' ethnic and cultural identities.⁹ The school "attained its largest enrollment" in 1910.¹⁰ In addition, beginning in 1908, the Lodge "hosted a Sokol, or gymnastics society."¹¹ This society was "established to promote physical, cultural, and intellectual growth for its members."¹² The "Tel-Jed Sokol" was "housed in the upper floor of National Hall in the years 19381940" and held meetings "until at least 1950."¹³ While most Lodge activities were conducted on the upper floor of the structure, throughout much of the Lodge's existence "soft drink and liquor establishments were located in the lower floor of the building."¹⁴

The 1920s and 30s were an active period for the Lodge. In the late 1920s it reached the peak of its membership with 173 members, and in 1933, as a result of numerous independent Czech aid organizations merging into "one organization, the Czechoslovak Society of America," the Lodge received a new numerical designation: Svobodny Rolnik Lodge No. 26.¹⁵ Despite the Lodge's success, the arrival of the Great Depression adversely affected the organization. During this period, membership declined "as many area industries closed and Czech families left the area to seek employment elsewhere."¹⁶ However, reflecting mining's status as an important local economic activity, various mining and other industrial "trade-related unions" held meetings at the building throughout the mid-twentieth century.¹⁷ While little information about membership numbers exists for the years between the Depression and 1958, after 1958 the numbers of members continued to decline.¹⁸ In addition, in 1958 the Lodge stopped conducting its affairs in Czech and adopted English as its official language.¹⁹ The organization encountered further challenges in 1971, when the Lodge was induced to sell the building due to "high taxes and maintenance costs."²⁰ As of 2021, the building is occupied by BingShop, a paintball and airsoft gun store.

Researched and Written by Tyler Young

Uploaded on behalf of the Madison County Historical Society by Kiley Fuchs

Proceeding architectural analysis researched and written by Madelyn Knight

Uploaded on behalf of the Madison County Historical Society by Kiley Fuchs

Narodni Sin (National Hall) is a two-story building of masonry, bearing-wall construction. The building footprint is a rectangle, measuring approximately 50’x6” wide by 49’-3” deep. The building’s front (south) façade is approximately 37 feet in height, and the rear façade is approximately 34 feet in height. An addition measuring approximately 40’-6” wide by 20’-0” deep has been constructed as an ell on the north side of the original building. The original building has a full basement. The addition has a concrete floor slab construction on grade.

The front (south) façade follows the two-part commercial block composition type. Generally limited to structures of two to four stories, this type is characterized by a horizontal division into two distinct vertical zones. The lower zone of the front façade of Czech Hall is compromised of a six-bay cast-iron storefront flanked by round-arched masonry entrances. A thin stringcourse or cornice of moulded brick above the storefront accentuates the separation between the lower and upper zones.

The upper zone is brick masonry with a brick frieze and cornice, and wood-sash windows set into masonry openings. The frieze and cornice create an elaborate terminus to the front of the building, and emphasize its verticality. The cornice is created with brick coursing which is corbelled in subtle projections. The frieze, located between the cornice and a double stringcourse of projecting brick just above the second story windows is comprised of recessed brick panels. Within the frieze, rondels formed by molded brick borders and set within cross-shaped surrounds align with the single and paired second story windows. A recessed rectangular panel in the center of the frieze and centered above the round-arched, second-story window contains the inscription,

NARODNI SIN

19 CSPS 06

Which translates from Czech means, “National Hall”. The letters CSPS stand for Cecho Slovensky Podporujici Spolky (Czechoslovak Protective Society), and the numbers 1906 denote the date of the building’s construction. Triangular profiled, brick pilasters extend from just above the round-arched window at the second story, to the brick cornice above the frieze. The pilasters separate the sign panel from the frieze and rondels

Brown in color, iron-spot faced brick, with molded brick trim coursing and details is used on the front façade. Mr. Charles Tuxhorn, who worked from approximately 1935-1980 as a sales manager for Edwardsville-based Richards Brick Company, stated that it is likely that the iron-spot brick was manufactured by The Brazil Brick Company, located in Brazil, Indiana. The Brazil Company supplied brick to the Richards Brick Company, which has been located in Edwardsville since 1890.

The side (east and west) and rear (north) facades are dry-pressed (stamped) brick, laid in common (header) bond coursing with interlocking headers at every 7^th course. Mr. Tuxhorn identified the brick used in the side and rear facades as dry-pressed brick, likely manufactured by the Richards Brick Company.

Exterior doors at the arched masonry openings of the south façade are wood rail-and-style construction. Each door has a large single light above a flush horizontal wood panel. The arched openings are trimmed in wide, wood frames around the doors and stained glass fanlight transoms. The doors and transoms are not original to the building. Photographs of the building from circa 1910 indicate that the entrances at the arched openings were originally recessed behind the masonry openings, and were comprised of paired doors having single glass lights in the upper halves and three horizontal raised wood panels in the lower halves, and squared transoms.

The storefront at the lower level of the main (south) façade is comprised of large display windows of plate glass separated by the wood window frames and thin cast-iron columns supporting the wall above. The storefront allowed for two interior spaces, each having two large display windows with a central entrance providing access directly from the street sidewalk. The display windows consist of single-light sashes, with double-light transoms above, and tongue-and-groove wood sided bulkheads below. Cast-iron columns manufactured by the Union Iron and Bridge Foundry Co., St. Louis, Missouri, frame the original entrances from the street into the interior spaces and divide the two center windows.

Overall, the main façade of the building presents a carefully balanced design of transparency at the lower zone, and solidity at the upper zone. The resulting image is an impressive display of artistry archived through the use of carefully executed brick and stone detailing, and restrained interplay of the architectural features.

The interior space of the first floor of the Czech National Hall Building interior is comprised of one large area and three small rooms. Wood-framing of the first-story ceiling/second-story floor structure is supported by the masonry walls at the east and west sides of the building, and by a beam which runs north and south and which is supported by columns at the center of the buildings width.

The second floor of the building interior is comprised of one large space, with five small rooms. The large room was used as the meeting hall. Two of the smaller rooms, one located in the southwest corner and the other in the northwest corner of the building, were originally cloakrooms. The ceiling is embossed metal (pressed tin) panels with a medallion in the center of the ceiling and an ornate cornice. A profiled, wood picture molding aligned with the window heads extends around the perimeter of the large room. The wood floors are finished with maple, strip flooring. Metal hooks for securing athletic equipment used by the Sokol, the Czech gymnastic society, remain in the ceiling in the northwest corner of the large room, and an anchor remains in the wood floor near the center of the large room. A low stage remains along the south wall in front of the large window.

Narodni Sin is locally significant for its association with ethnic heritage as one of the best examples of ethnic halls that survive in southwestern Illinois Narodni Sin is also significant as a good local example of the two-part, commercial building type that was popular during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries throughout the country. It’s period of significance is from 1906, the year it was built, until 1952, the fifty-year cutoff for significance to the National Register of Historic Places at the time of its submission.

The Czech National Hall was built in 1906 for Lodge Rolnick No. 7 to accommodate the growing Edwardsville Czech community. From 1906 to 1971 the top floor of the building housed the activities of the lodge, including meetings, dances, language classes, and gymnastics. All meetings were held in the Czech language until 1958. The lower level consistently housed soft drink and liquor establishments until 1969. Through the years the building also was home to societies and clubs such as the Lodge of Cahokia, Progressive Miners of America No. 71, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners No. 378, and Jeans and Janes Square Dance Club.

The Czech National Hall was built by brothers Joseph Hlad, Sr., and Anton Hlad. Joseph, the elder brother, was the general contractor. Anton, a plasterer by trade, was the foreman in charge of the construction crew. Anton’s two sons, Thomas and Nickolas, carried the family business forward all their lives and built many of the homes in the Edwardsville area, including the Levi’s current residence at 230 North Kansas Street. Anton and his son Thomas were among the original crew to plaster the ornate Fox Theater on Grand Avenue in St. Louis in the early 1920s. Anton’s son, Nickolas, at the age of 15 was taken out of school for one year of apprenticeship to help his father and brother work on the Fox. Anton’s parents, Fran and Anna (Slapak) Hlad, were born in Bohemia. They immigrated to America in the fall of 1882 from Narani, Bohemia, first to Pennsylvania for about a year, then to Edwardsville, Illinois. After several years, they moved to Worden, Illinois, then to Staunton, and next to Riverton, before finally returning to Edwardsville for remaining years of their lives. Hlad worked as a coal miner and as a partner and operator of the Home Trade Coal Co., at Edwardsville. The Hlad’s raised several children, including Anton. Five other children died in infancy, three while the Hlads were in Bohemia, and two after they moved to Edwardsville. Frank Hlad was naturalized in the Madison County Court at Edwardsville in 1890 and 1894. The name Hlad was legally changed to Ladd in 1922.

1^ "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975.

2^ Clara May Miller, "Historical Society Learns About Czech Settlers," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, January 10, 1968; Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, "Narodni Sin," by Cally Lence and Gail White, NPS Form 10-900 (2002), 14.

3^ For more on the other charter members of the Lodge, see "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975.

4^ Clara May Miller, "Historical Society Learns About Czech Settlers," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, January 10, 1968.

5^ Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, "Narodni Sin," by Cally Lence and Gail White, NPS Form 10-900 (2002), 14.

6^ "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975.

7^ Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, "Narodni Sin," by Cally Lence and Gail White, NPS Form 10-900 (2002), 7. The Intelligencer spells Hlad's first name as either Joseph or Josef. "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975. For further information about those involved in the construction of the building, see Clara May Miller, "Historical Society Learns About Czech Settlers," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, January 10, 1968.

8^ Clara May Miller, "Historical Society Learns About Czech Settlers," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, January 10, 1968.

9^ Ibid.

10^ "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975.

11^ Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, "Narodni Sin," by Cally Lence and Gail White, NPS Form 10-900 (2002), 1415.

12^ Ibid.

13^ Ibid.

14^ Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, "Narodni Sin," by Cally Lence and Gail White, NPS Form 10-900 (2002), 15.

15^ "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975.

16^ Ibid.

17^ Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, "Narodni Sin," by Cally Lence and Gail White, NPS Form 10-900 (2002), 15.

18^ "100 Years for Czech Lodge," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 6, 1975.

19^ Ibid.

20^ Ibid.

Sources below for Architectural Analysis

http://hpa.illinois.gov/PDFs/105953.pdf ; https://www.historyillinois.org/Portals/HistoricalSociety/HeritageArticles/montgomery%20station.pdf?ver=2017-11-28-145026-083&ver=2017-11-28-145026-083 (article about the Hlad family, who would change their name to Ladd