by Rachael Herman, Olivia Kurylo, Madelynne Smith, and Greer Brightbill
At the beginning of the ‘Round Howard Street UnClass, our group dedicated our time solely to the Cosmopolitan Club and its history in Akron. We hoped to accomplish much in the short sixteen weeks but had very little clue as to where it would take us. We wanted to create something that would respect the Howard Street neighborhood, something that someone else could easily take on and add to. Yet, as the weeks have progressed, some of our assignments have extended past our original location. Our research showed us that this inner hub of Howard Street and its musical flare was its own living and breathing neighborhood within the outer portion of Akron. Howard Street was a place with a heart, just as, if not more so, than downtown Akron, and that is why we decided to broaden our project to include the other locations we researched. These other places are the Akron Armory and The Smoke Pit. As our project reflects, these places are to demonstrate the juxtapositions of life on Howard Street and life outside of it.
![](https://scigatejournals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-Cosmopolitans-Ins-and-Outs.jpeg)
In order to present our research findings in an accessible manner, our group made a website that categorized our findings and explicated them and the histories behind them. Our website, titled “Branching Out From the Cosmopolitan,” attempts to destigmatize the events and place on Howard Street with its introduction page, profiles the Cosmopolitan and its visitors, points out key figures from our Cosmopolitan research, ties in a connection to the Akron Armory, notes The Smoke Pit and its musical connection to the Cosmopolitan and the Akron Armory, and concludes with a final note on the course and the many contributions made by wonderful sources knowledgeable about Howard Street.
In order to organize the information, our group designed a website in hopes of presenting the material. The website presents our research on the Cosmopolitan Club, a nightclub at the heart of Howard Street, and its owners, performers, connections, and Akronites who frequented the club. Though we still haven’t found answers to all of our questions, we uncovered so much about life on Howard Street, destroyed and built over by the Innerbelt highway. With this website, we hope to show people the artistic community of Howard Street and the harmful stigmas that plague the memory and stories of the Cosmopolitan Club. To find our website there is a link here and a QR code down below.
![](https://scigatejournals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-Cosmopolitans-Ins-and-Outs.jpg)