Historic Dance Hall Serves Community Once Again

Built in 1909, the historic Odell Building at 21 North Avenue was one of the first, if not the first, commercial buildings located on what is now known as North Avenue in Baltimore City, Maryland. During the mid-1800s, Taney Place was an upper-class residential boulevard of many free-standing estates and large rowhouses. The street began to transition to more high-end commercial use with the construction of 21 North Avenue, which housed the Auto Outing Company, a luxury Buick sales and service station, and Tuttle’s Dancing Academy. Generations of Baltimore’s upper-class took lessons at this academy, including Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.

During the 1920s, the street became fully commercial and catered almost exclusively to wealthy patrons. During this time, the founder of Auto Outing Company, JM Robbins, changed the business name to Robbins Buick, to reflect an increased focus on car sales. This period was short-lived and came to an end with the Great Depression of 1929. Robbins Buick closed its doors in 1932, but the ballroom remained.

As the country recovered through the 1940s, the area around North Avenue shifted to serve the growing middle-class community and became a major point of connection for the city’s eastern and western residential areas. With excellent streetcar services, North Avenue became a social and entertainment center for Baltimore’s younger population, and the building became the social landmark. From the 1950s through the building’s vacancy in 1992, the building housed several famous nightclubs and venues, the most iconic of which being Odell’s. Opened in 1976, Odell’s was Baltimore’s premier disco venue through the 1980s and is often cited as the birthplace of Baltimore Club Music. Since the club’s closing in 1992, the building has sat vacant and waiting for revitalization.