THE BIG APPLE - Some historians say that New York first got the nickname, The Big Apple, from horse racing in the 1920s. The apple supposedly symbolized the prize winner. Yet, here in the South, we know the nickname started with a dance craze called, The Big Apple, that swept the nation in the 1930s. The Big Apple was built as the House of Peace Synagogue around 1907, the building was located originally at 1318 Park Street. After its congregation outgrew the building, the structure was sold with the strict stipulation that it never be used as a synagogue again. In 1936, the building took on a far different use, as it became an African-American dance hall called, the Big Apple Club. During the hot summer of 1937, the Big Apple dance craze was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and swept the nation. Crafted by Columbias African-American youth, the Big Apple dance eventually traveled to New York and attracted the attention of famed dance instructor Arthur Murray and songwriter Tommy Dorsey, who wrote The Big Apple Swing. By 1938, however, the club had closed; the property was sold, and the dance was no longer popular. Abandoned in 1979, the former club was moved three years later from its original location at 1138 Park to its current siting at the corner of Hampton and Park streets. The rehabilitated Big Apple retains many of its original architectural features and is available as a rental facility for special occasions. Stella Black Fan Page
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 23:50:54 +0000
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