YSU students partner to restore Stambaugh staircase

Engineering Technology students at Youngstown State University are playing a leading role in restoring an iconic Youngstown landmark - the Fifth Avenue grand staircase and front facade at historic Stambaugh Auditorium.

Students in the Civil and Construction Engineering Technology program will work with professional consultants on the $2.5 million project that will return the steps and façade to their original 1926 grandeur.

“For our students, this provides an opportunity for a real-world experience working on an actual project, understanding the construction and construction management process, as well as an appreciation for local history and the community,” said Carol Lamb, professor and director of the YSU School of Engineering Technology.

“The completion of this project is of upmost importance to the cultural fabric and history of Youngstown,” said Mike McGiffin, development and community relations director at Stambaugh Auditorium. “For nearly a century, the front façade and staircase have served as a focal point for many celebrations in the community. From weddings to cultural gatherings, the history of Youngstown lives in this staircase.”

Stambaugh Auditorium, with a 2,553-seat concert hall, opened in 1926 through a gift by Youngstown-area businessman Henry H. Stambaugh. The auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

McGiffin said recent studies, funded by the Youngstown Foundation, show that the staircase leading to the main entrance of the auditorium has been negatively impacted by 92 years of harsh winters, salt treatments, rain, sleet and sun. Surveying and core drillings have concluded that the staircase is within five years of the end of its life.

The Board of Directors and administrative staff of Stambaugh Auditorium intend to completely raze and replace the staircase and platform, re-construct retaining walls, add dimensional exterior lighting and clean the decades of soot from the exterior of the façade, McGiffin said. The work will use historically-guided materials to satisfy the Historic Preservation Office of Ohio and the National Historic Registry through the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The idea for the Stambaugh-YSU collaboration came about earlier this year when Lamb approached McGiffin about a student tour of the auditorium, specifically showing the structural aspects of the building. Matt Pagac, general manager of Stambaugh Auditorium, provided students with the history of the building, building timeline, and various structural components, from the space above the main auditorium to basement structure.

The first phase of the restoration project includes generating field photography, photo manipulation, a rendered site plan, design and construction documents, bidding, permits, approvals and construction administration.

Funding for the project includes two $500,000 allocations in the Ohio Capital Budget, via the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. Stambaugh Auditorium intends to raise additional funds over the course of the next year.