Club Casino
Known Name(s)
Club Casino
Address
1517 Pennsylvania Avenue Baltimore, Maryland
Establishment Type(s)
Bar, Tavern, Night Club
Physical Status
Extant
Description
A three-story building that has been converted from three commercial buildings which originally consisted of two 2-bay and one 3-bay buildings. The front façade has been clad with a random bond formstone. The ground floor retains the commercial façade of stucco over brick, with a rolling steel door, two plate glass windows, and two additional steel doors. All of the windows are 1-over-1 double hung sash windows.
The Casino was a night club in 1517 Pennsylvania Avenue, that was next door to Mr. William L. Adams' real estate office at 1519 Pennsylvania Avenue. The original facade as shown in historic photos was of black marble with "Club Casino" in script above. Historic interior photos show padded booths and a newspaper article described the "mirrored walls." The club's footprint included the first floor of 1519 and the real estate office was on the second floor. The Casino featured live musical acts.
Detailed History
Willie Adams and two associates, Kenneth Bass and Askew Gatewood, opened Club Casino, a night club, in the late 1930s at 1517 Pennsylvania Avenue to help provide places for entertainment for middle class African Americans in Baltimore. The building dates to the late nineteenth century, but prior to the 1930s renovations, it had been the Palm House, a saloon serving beer at 1519 Pennsylvania Avenue. The nightclub advertised music played by dance bands with dinner, which remained a popular form of entertainment through the mid-1960s. The club remained open through the late 1960s but is now a liquor store in both 1517 and 1519, called Royal Casino.
