The stately Ohio Building met an inglorious end

After the close of the fair in December, the Ohio Building was purchased either by W. J. Woosley or Major J. Pauling Edwards. The actual original ownership is a little vague, but a group of investors was involved. The idea was to barge it down the Bay and turn it into a millionaires’ playground. It was to be placed at the shore of the San Carlos Harbor to serve as the clubhouse of a Peninsula country club that was to be formed there. Locals usually called that spot Steinberger’s Slough.

Edwards had an interest in aviation, and that latest form of recreation for the wealthy was to be one of the activities featured at the new country club. The usual golf, tennis, sailing and shooting would also be accessible in the area surrounding the impressive clubhouse.

At low tide, the 1,000-ton building was lowered onto two 500-ton barges. When the tide rose, several tugboats were to move the structure down to San Carlos. Unusually strong winds carried the floating edifice past its destination, however, and it almost came into collision with the Dumbarton Bridge. Finally, it was moved into position at high tide. When the tide went out, it settled onto its waiting foundation. Filled land created a base for a new ground floor, converting the building from two stories to three.

About this time the syndicate involved in the country club plan ran out of funds. World War I interfered with any further progress for the time being, and the building stood abandoned. After the war, Prohibition created a new opportunity.

George Hensley bought the building and opened a lavish restaurant called the Babylon Club. Slot machines may have been part of the entertainment. In order to serve illegal drinks and operate as a speakeasy, a plank was connected to a scow in the Bay.

One could walk the plank to get drinks, and in the event of a raid, the evidence could be dumped overboard before the agents could reach the scow. The Babylon Club catered to an affluent clientele. There must have been some missed signal, however, because the police did finally close the place down and the building stood empty once again. A brief attempt to reopen it as a restaurant failed.

Meanwhile, that enthusiasm for flying had caught on in San Carlos. Charles P. Cooley was running an airport next door to the Ohio Building, and he bought it. He used it for workshops and research and development for his aviation enterprises. After World War II, however, Cooley decided to sell his airport. The building was to be moved to another location, but a dispute arose over the time it was taking to vacate the land. On December 14, 1956, the Ohio Building was intentionally burned to the ground as that was the fastest way to clear the property.

Rediscovering the Peninsula appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal. For more information on this or related topics, visit the San Mateo County