The decline of gathering places
Loss of the longtime location of the Everett, Wash., Elks Club brings to mind the loss of "third places" generally, where neither home nor work prevail and a sense of community is forged – or was.
The windowed Lenin's-tomb-style architecture of the Everett, Wash., Elks is, well, serotonin-lowering. It's the kind of place that magnifies the natural radiance of the Northwest, because the impulse is to look away. As an unstylish kid growing up in the late 1970s, I sat astride the orange banana seat of a loop-handled three-speed, pedaled past Lodge 479 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, and wondered: Who in God's name is buried there?
A 1960s remodel created a nesting-table effect that's only apparent after you've nosed around inside. And come September, the wrecking ball looms.
There was a time, mid-century, when Everett "Elkdom" ranneth over: 5,000 Elk in a city of 35,000 – the George Babbitts drinking gin with the boys from Scott Paper and the Weyerhaeuser B Mill. The 1953 Polk directory lists the various fraternal organizations that rented space: the Everett Central Lions, Toastmasters, Kiwanis, and Rotary.
The Elks began in Everett in 1899, and their permanent home at 2731 Rucker Ave. has served as a community gathering place for nearly a century. August Heide designed the first mission-style Elks hall in 1910. By 1924, the lodge was expanded in a Heide-designed "mirror image add-on," in the words of historian David Dilgard. It was fated for a fire in 1960, just in time for the inglorious brutalism of the 1960s. (A "remuddle," as local historian Margaret Riddle described it.)
Each corner of the Elks Lodge is a tree ring of Northwest social history: the basement locker room that once served as a speakeasy (complete with a back exit), the bas-relief wood carvings and glitter ball in the cabaret room that featured nightclub legends like Eddie Peabody, Sophie Tucker, and Johnny Ray.
And the stag bar known as "the smoke pit" that has pumped out heart- and lung-diseased Elk for generations.
The lodge was Mon Wallgren's hideaway. Wallgren, an Everett billiards champion, variously served as a congressman, governor, and senator. (Check for his portrait in the legislative building in Olympia – cigarette in hand, he looks as if he's modeling for a Lucky Strikes glossy.) He donated a pool cue and case with the name of the Senate pal who gifted it to him embossed on the side: Harry S. Truman.
It was a place and time that outlived itself. The beginning of the end came in 1977, when Carl Gipson, a respected Everett City Council member, was the only one of 67 applicants to get blackballed. Gipson is African-American. Elk membership dived – deservedly so.
Just as egregious, it took until 1995 before the door swung open for women to dilute the testosterone tide.
In Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam points to suburbanization, work and time pressures, television, and the generation gap as factors driving the decline of fraternal organizations. These forces intersect with the Western tendency for transience and forgetting – a combustible mix for groups like the Elks.
And what of "social capital?" According to Putnam, it's the collection of social networks (like the Elks) that enhance community values and generate public goods. Join a group and you reduce your risk of dying (a conundrum for those of us who are both loners and hypochondriacs).
In Milltown, the seminal work on the history of Everett, Norman Clark underlines the social glue of civic participation: "Everett was organized, even overorganized," Clark writes. "In 1909 the city had 40 fraternal lodges, most of them with women's auxiliaries. There were 25 labor unions with auxiliaries, dozens of reform clubs, political clubs, women's clubs, book clubs, historical societies, and professional organizations, each holding regular meetings, picnics, smokers, clambakes, dances, and parties." Whew.
In 2004, with a crumbling infrastructure and declining membership, the Elks decided to sell their property and build a smaller lodge up the street, financed in part by nine upper-story condos. The net loss of meeting space is substantial: from 36,000 square feet to 22,000 (and significantly less than 22,000 when factoring the condos).
Capitalizing on its proximity to the adjacent Carl Gould-designed Everett Public Library, the seven-story, mixed use-development to be built on the ashes of the Elks is branding itself "Library Place."
On paper, these are all public goods: Drawing folks to live downtown complements smart growth.
Nevertheless, what happens to community values, to social capital, when a "nesting" place supplants a gathering place?
Ideally, the loss of gathering places would have a water-balloon effect: Squeeze it off and it bulges out somewhere else. If only.
We know that gathering places aren't fungible: High-end condos are no substitute for bowling alleys, for Elks lodges, or for good taverns. What's needed are more "third places" – sociologist Ray Oldenburg's catchall for community hangouts outside of work and home. So why not employ a soft-power strategy and carrot our way to more gathering places?
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Comments:
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 9:10 a.m. inappropriate
What about the good old boys?: I too worry about where all the good old boys will hang out as places like the Elks club shut down. Where will all the white benevolent and protective Christian men be able to "forge a sense of community," as in the past? Where will future congressmen, governors, and senators be able to shoot pool and broker deals away from the prying eyes of women and minorities? Thanks, Pete, for pointing out how our policymakers should be making it easier, not harder, for white Christian men to "enhance community values." Keep fighting the good fight.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 11:04 a.m. inappropriate
Not far enough: Government should not only provide a carrot to build new community spaces but should use the stick to require people to join these new "community" organizations and provide voluntary on-going financial support.
If people don't know what's good for them then in the words of former City Councilmember Margaret Pageler mommy-and-daddy government has to step in tell them to eat their porridge.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 1:45 p.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: Its too easy to attack the high level of civic engagement of the past like this. It wasn't just privileged white males that participated at a higher level in past decades.
Probably the lack of third places and the decrease in civic engagement has done more to cement the already powerful in place. If fewer people are participating and finding out what's going on, then those already on top have less to fear.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 2:08 p.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: And so brayeth another northwest johnny come lately, jackass no nothing.
Far easier to belittle men and women who contributed far more to their civic community than I suspect you'd do given 50 lifetimes than to actually recognize that those same men and women, while flawed, laid the ground work for stronger, more enlightened communities for their (and our) children.
Shame on you JvA.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 5:39 p.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: As a part-Asian woman (and a Northwesterner since the age of 7, btw), I would not have even been allowed to join these fraternal clubs in their heyday, so it's hard for me to mourn their passing. But there is still plenty of opportunity for civic involvement now without those old exclusive clubs and their traditionally sexist and racist policies.
Personally, I'm the graffiti prevention coordinator for my neighborhood, and I work with my neighbors to paint out the graffiti on their homes; I recently helped organize my community's first-ever Night Out; I helped start a Block Watch program and I flyered the nearest 180 homes around me to try to get more people involved; I invited the entire neighborhood over to my house for a community meeting; I volunteer for the Sierra Club; last year I volunteered for a progressive candidate's political campaign; and I meet with neighbors on Beacon Hill and other South End communities to work with government officials and developers on issues like the proposed Boeing Field expansion, new dump, cell phone towers in Jefferson Park, strip club zone, and plastic grass in our parks. I know I may never reach the level of civic involvement of those white guys who used to shoot pool with Harry Truman or whatever, but I have a full-time job and a long-neglected house to tend to as well, OK, so, yeah, shame on me.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 6:54 p.m. inappropriate
Time and tide wait for no man...or woman, either. The demise of fraternal organizations maybe came about because - hold on, because this may be a shock - nobody wanted to belong to them anymore. I remember going as a kid to what was then the enormous Lake City Elks and feeling downright creepy. A lot of old people carousing about doing stuff that simply wasn't my bag. Now that I'm an old person carousing about, I still don't think what took place in Lake City back in 1966 has any relevence to my life.
We all have other things we want to do ranging from simply vedging in front of the tube to playing on the church softball team to, of all things, riding bicycles. What defeated fraternal organizations wasn't exclusionary policies, reprehensible though they were, but a growing abundance of options and changes in the nature of social relationships from that era to this.
There's a new and interesting series on cable's AMC called Madmen about Madison Avenue advertising executives during the late 50's and early 60's. Those fellows would have been prime candidates for membership in an Elks lodge if, that is, NYC ad execs would ever join such an organization. But the nature of social relationships and how business was done in those days was more conducive to an Elks environment than it is today.
There still are political, charitable, cultural, sports, environmental, hobby, and many more organizaitons that thrive offering people community connection, and they meet where they meet. That few, if any, meet at an Elks, Moose, Odd Fellows, Eagles or whatever hall or lodge tells me, at least, that there isn't much of a demand for such facilities.
Dinosaurs are extinct for a reason; let the dead bury the dead. There are plenty of places for people to meet and interact without ignoring the economic and cultural DNR order in effect for fraternal lodges.
The Piper
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 9:34 p.m. inappropriate
Which came first, the community center or the community?: Nice article. It's interesting to see these old community centers, lodges, and churches die off with nothing growing back in their place. So many aspects of modern living -- television, sprawl, commuting, long work days -- seem to be conspiring to keep us all isolated.
I suppose that's what bring many of us to online communities like this one. Still, I can't help but think it would be more fun talking over beers with you all as opposed to all this cumbersome typing. I'm pretty sure I'd find The Piper much more agreeable in person than in print.
However, I don't think these communities are dying for lack of affordable space, and I'm skeptical that meeting spaces will, by the simple virtue of their existence, generate many meetings. We need to understand why, given our species' biological need for community, there isn't a corresponding market demand for meeting halls.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 10:45 p.m. inappropriate
That's what Shopping Malls are For!: What? No gathering places? What about Bellevue Square? What about Safeco and Qwest? OK, so the focus of gathering places has changed from civic life and culture to consumerism and corporate profits? But, I mean, other than that, what's the difference?
I was just in Bellevue Square yesterday and I've never been to place with so many people that felt so soulless and dead. Ugh. I hope I never have to go there ever again.
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 11:12 p.m. inappropriate
And civic life, culture and an almost infinite variety of activities and interests are alive and well and offering people community, connection, and creative endeavors with something for everyone. There's tons of stuff to do and scores of people to both meet and who are waiting to meet you. Got an interest? No matter what it is, others share it and would like you to join them in pursuing it.
The Piper
Posted Sat, Sep 8, 11:47 p.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: Ok, so you're a touchy half-minority Beacon Hill activist. How does that invalidate the general point of the article? What, in fact, does it have to do with anything? Why are you posting all your civic credentials? I genuinely do not understand. You have something against old white guys who remind you of Harry Truman, I understand that. But why you're talking about it here, that I do not get.
Are you saying that because you 'personally' are quite involved in civic affairs, therefore everyone else is? Because that would not be correct. The decline in civic involvement--the point of the article--is fairly incontrovertible. Is that somehow the fault of old white male-sexed associates of Harry Truman?
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 12:46 a.m. inappropriate
Malls are NOT like Community Markets: Community Markets still exist. For example Farmer's Markets. And they are night and day different from malls.
Shopping malls like Bellevue square have no connection to the community. The corporate tenants of the mall are in no way connected to the community like the local or regional vendors at a real community market. How are Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch or Crate and Barrel connected to any community in Bellevue?
The only thing that shopping malls provide are semi-public space. But that's not the same thing as a real community gathering space, which I believe should be in some way connected to or identify with the ocmmunity in which it resides.
Shopping malls like Bellevue Square are alienating places not because they involve shopping (because Pike Place Market and Fremont Fair involve shopping too) but because they are alienated from the communities in which they exist except in their capacity to provide minimum-wage jobs and space for non-local businesses and bland corporate brands to set up shop.
I'd rather gather in a truly PUBLIC space or at a locally-owned business. I'm not against non-local businesses and corporate brands in principal at all - but at malls like BS they are too concentrated.
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 12:48 a.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: I understand your confusion. That boring comment with the list of credentials wasn't a response to the original article at all, but rather to another comment about how the fraternal club members were more involved with their communities than I personally would be in 50 lifetimes, or some such.
I'm not positive there has been a decline in civic involvement in Seattle (I'm not that familiar with the situation in Everett). Seattle City Council staffers I've talked to say that residents are much more involved and vocal than they were 30 years ago. And as I mentioned, my 100-year-old neighborhood just had its first neighborhood-wide party this summer, which might indicate that civic involvement -- on a very local level -- is higher than ever here. I think the ease of communication that the Internet has brought us has led to an upswing in civic involvement.
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 9:45 a.m. inappropriate
Kayvaan has the absolute right to never go to a mall again and to think what he likes about them and their corporate tenants. Likewise, I have the absolute right to think otherwise. Community is as community does...
But to mandate so-called "community places" or whatever you want to call them has all the charm of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's gulag. People are free to congregate and, if I may create a verb, "community" with one another wherever they wish. Some do it at a mall, some don't, while others do it at meetings at libraries, senior centers, schools, hospitals, churches and lots of other public facilities where a room is available for a modest fee or even free.
It's not "community" to dictate to others how you think it should look; live and let live. When freedom and liberty are the ultimate civic values, then the free-market choices of people to go where they will and do what they wish must be respected. When anyone's personal preferance is substituted for free will and free choice, then "communtiy" is replaced with tyranny.
The Piper
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 11:31 a.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: JvA, your comments are entirely orthogonal to the article. Blockwatches, the annual night out, and a graffiti task forces have nothing to do with the "third home" places this article is talking about. The article is mourning the loss of places where a group of men and women could regularly get together and socialize. A place where you could flee the stresses of work and home life. Where you could put together a poker game without having to plan a week in advance. Where you could wear funny hats and go through silly rituals. Where your membership was formalized and secure.
If it's not your cup of tea, fine, but no need to strike such a sour note. I personally have no interest in attending a Korean Lutheran church, but I can respect the fact that these churches play an important to their members.
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 12:55 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Malls are NOT like Community Markets: I feel like you're mis-interpreting my assertion about the quality of certain gathering places as an assertion that we should somehow force people to change their behavior. Far from it.
Who's mandating anything? It's not like I'm at the entrance to shopping malls telling people not to go in. And I'm not even advocating for any kind of regulatory stance against shopping malls. All I'm saying is that as community gathering places go, shopping malls SUCK. Because of reasons I've mentioned above having to do with lack of local business community representation in said malls. I'm all for free-market and political process and frankly I don't really expect anything to change soon regarding shopping malls. So don't worry.
You're using a facile debating point. "People can do what they want" is a cop out argument for anything. Sure, people can do what they want. But that's not what we're talking about. There's no slippery slope argument here because I'm not arguing for any kind of regulation of anything. I'm simply stating that local communities are not particularly well-served by shopping malls.
But, oh boy, then you pulled out "freedom", "liberty", "free-market", "free will" and "tyranny" in a single paragraph. Soapbox much? :) We're talking about Bellevue Square, Piper, which is only marginally more charming than a gulag.
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 1:11 p.m. inappropriate
You and I disagree about shopping malls, and that's OK. But I take the "freedom" and "liberty" stuff pretty seriously; somebody's got to! Too often in this town people think it's swell to use government's zoning power to herd us like so many sheep into either an urban or high-rise pen. Frankly, that, to me is appalling. Ditto much of what passes for restrictions on rural land use, which is a huge reason why the supply of housing is scarce and cost high. If you forbid development, you artificially keep supply low.
We can simply agree to disagree about whether malls well-serve people; you say no, I say yes. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what either of us say since the people themselves will decide. For now, I would suggest, though, that the evidence shows that people like them, they flock to them, and they interact in them.
I just find it appalling that anyone would suggest further government mandates in favor of social policies or visions of what the "community" should like like that don't seem to be shared by many of us.
Is it safe to assume, Kayvaan, that neither of us are candidates for membershp in the Elks? That being the case - again, assuming - we're each free to find our community relationships in other places, and more power to us.
The Piper
Posted Sun, Sep 9, 1:58 p.m. inappropriate
RE: What about the good old boys?: OK. If these old, underutilized clubhouses are being razed for the development of large, mixed-use structures that include "third place" eateries/drinking spots that welcome adults across the whole community instead of just a portion of it, I see that as a good thing.
Agreed that I didn't need to strike such a sour note -- apologies. And honestly, I have to say that I do appreciate the sight of an old dude in a fez on a tricycle.
But when I was in high school, I was in involved with Interact, the youth auxiliary to the Rotary Club in my town. I wanted to help them with their remarkably successful efforts to provide immunization shots to large numbers of children in Third World countries. So I'd volunteer to sell tickets at their auctions and things like that, and I got an inside look at what actually went on at their events.
Though the events were nominally about charitable fundraising, I remember thinking that was little to no discussion about eradicating disease, prevent hunger, or any of their stated goals, but there was plenty of talk about business development plans, contracts for city projects, selecting vendors, etc.
After a couple of years of being involved with that particular group, I came away with the feeling that the organization really existed as a means for the local power brokers to award each other big business projects, and that the charity side was secondary. I remember thinking that it wasn't fair that local businesswomen had zero access to this group, where many of the big deals in town were going down. (They may have been a ladies' auxiliary club -- I'm not sure -- but I'd bet a chunk of money that the ladies' club was not where the big business deals were going down.) I suspect that these exclusionary clubs hindered the business success of women and minorities in many towns like mine for a long time.
So my experience with these clubs has made me not feel so sad that they're going away. But as long as they're now welcoming everyone, I'm fine with them. Some friends of mine in Portland have started joining the Eagles Club on Hawthorne, and they're using that old space to throw huge costume parties, sell drinks for cheap, and invite the gay and gay-friendly community to attend. Apparently the old-school members are getting along well with the newbies -- I've heard they're happy someone has brought some life back into the organization.
And I also think there are new "third places" popping up. On this very page, I saw an ad for the newish "Third Place Pub," where I saw a book club meeting and a chess game going on last time I went in for a beer. Last night I hung out in the new Calamity Jane's in Georgetown, where I've regularly seen strangers strike up conversations about local goings-on. If you want a members-only vibe, there's the new McLeod Residence in Belltown, where all are welcome to join and I think you even get to adopt a silly name.
I absolutely agree there should be more of these types of places, so we should support them with our patronage as much as possible. Cheers!