The Hangar: e’ve driven by it hundreds of times. Built in 1930 on Cedar Road, the private recreation center, known as the Hangar, is still in use today. It resembles an airplane hangar because of the building’s glass roof lines that were designed to provide sunshine and heat in the winter months. Built as part of the Dudley S. Blossom estate, this indoor swim and tennis facility was constructed to make summer sports accessible throughout the year for family and friends. Today, the Hangar is owned by Charles Bolton, who has roots to the Blossom family. Dudley Blossom, a successful businessman and philanthropist, was married to Elizabeth Blossom, and her sister, Frances Payne Bolton, who was married to Chester Bolton, are Charles Bolton’s grandparents. Together, the Bolton and Blossom estates occupied hundreds of acres of land at the corner of Cedar and Richmond Roads. The Hangar, designed by Abram Garfield, son of President James A. Garfield, was admitted to the National Register of Historical Places in the mid ‘80s. Walking in the building is like walking back in time. Much of the interior, all in pristine condition, dates back to ‘30s. When walking in the building, you enter the mural room, where a breathtaking under-thesea seascape, created by June Platt, surrounds you. Above is a stepped-up blue cobalt ceiling and together, they provide an underwater experience. Additional features of the room include a wood-burning fireplace with stainless steel chevrons embedded in each side wall, and a stainless steel light fixture with porpoises etched around its edges. All the furniture, some original and some replaced to depict the time, has a stylish, art-deco flair. Beachwood’s Hidden Gem W Behind the fireplace wall is an enclosed sunroom that was once a porch. Since the facility is used for swimming, tennis and social events, the area was closed to provide usable space through all seasons. The 20-yard, four-lane pool, constructed with individual tiles, is climate-controlled year-round, with the air temperature a constant 82 degrees and the water 86 degrees. A sea-themed railing, designed by Rose Iron Works, surrounds the pool. Tiles decorate the room as you glance from the pool to the glass rooftop that fills the space with natural light. The Har-Tru® clay court is the only indoor court of its fashion. Because it needs to be watered, it is designed as an outdoor court. Since its creation, ivy was planted around the edges of the court and, at one time, the entire interior area was covered with the lush greenery, making it easier for the player to see the ball. Today, strands of ivy exist, and they hope to recreate the original appearance. From the sunroom, one can see an expanse of sunken lawn with four drains, one on each corner. Surrounding the area are built-in stone walls and benches. This outdoor space, now used for recreation and summer events, was once flooded and converted into a winter ice skating rink. Although the Hangar underwent a complete renovation in 1986, every detail was designed to replicate its original style. Walls were scraped and what was salvageable from the original wallpaper was used to recreate the identical design. All replacement furniture was painstakingly designed to resemble the original to maintain the original ambience. The terrazzo floor, marred by years of wax applications, was stripped and looks brand new. The use of wicker furniture on the gallery patio where tennis games are observed conveys a tropical season. The ladies’ changing room has a silver vanity table with a deco-styled mirror and pink seashell wallpaper that lights up the room. Today’s Hangar members enjoy a space that has been lovingly preserved over many decades to promote an environment of healthy sport and for social gatherings of friends and family. The Hangar attracts members organically with the intention of maintaining an intimate personality that members love and support. This building is a hidden community gem and the hope is that it will always be supported for the objet d’art that it is. July 2015 n Beachwood Buzz 11