ART & ART DECO CLEVELAND 2006
September 13-17, 2006

Greyhound Bus Terminal (1938)

1465 Chester Avenue. William S. Arrasmith, architect.

This is among the finest examples of Streamline Moderne design in the USA. The building was a flagship terminal for Greyhound Bus Lines — and the largest in the country when it was built in 1938. Mr. Arrasmith was a Louisville based architect who designed over 100 Greyhound stations around the country. Many have been demolished. Cleveland is fortunate to have preserved its station, now on the National Register. Greyhound spent over $5 million restoring the building, completed in 2000. It was the largest project of its kind in Greyhound history. It would have been less expensive for Greyhound to construct a new building, but they were committed to preserving the architecture. Even after 70 years, the terminal still serves its original purpose — proof that good design never goes out of style.

Typical of the Moderne Style, the station incorporates glass block, subdivided windows, brick, tile, and aluminum in both exteriors and interiors. The rounded corners and layered, horizontal planes were "futuristic" — suggesting speed and efficiency — a perfect aesthetic match for the modern Greyhound buses of the day. The huge vertical sign, with "Greyhound" spelled out in neon, is also characteristic.

An excellent book on the subject: "The Streamline Era Greyhound Terminals: The Architecture of W. S. Arrasmith" by Clevelander Frank E. Wrenick was published in October, 2006 by McFarland & Co.

Read an interview with Frank E. Wrenick about Greyhound Bus Terminals and W.S. Arrasmith on the Louisville Art Deco web site: www.louisvilleartdeco.com.

Guardians of Transportation