The Shady Nook
As a kid learning to skate and play hockey just north of Cincinnati, there were two spots my Dad always took me to. The first was the now long-gone outdoor rink in Hamilton (that was also featured in the classic film “Airborne”). The second was Miami University’s (original) Goggin Ice Arena in Oxford, Ohio.
Even at 8/9/10 years old in the late 90s, I was noticing weird and random roadside scenes. One of the familiar sights on our many drives between Fairfield and Oxford was this old, dilapidated business called “The Shady Nook.” Despite growing up with friends who lived nearby, I never did make it a point to photograph the place, even as I began getting into urban exploration.
A few weeks ago, however, my day job took brought me back to Oxford. It was probably the first time I’d driven out that way in well over a decade. On my way back towards home in Cincinnati, I finally stopped to document the Shady Nook. Both the structure and its classic sign were a little worse for wear, but they were still standing. Sadly, I forgot to photograph the old payphone on the side of the building .
As far as I know, the Shady Nook has never reopened in any form after all this time. A few older photographs scattered across the internet show the building emblazoned with decorative organ pipes, as well as, a moniker that once read: “the celebration place.” I reached out to a few friends with ties to the area to see if they remembered what it had been.
The Shady Nook as seen in a 2000 photograph by Aris Gerakis posted on TheatreOrgans.com.
One suggested that it had been a “honky tonk” while another described it as having once been “a restaurant with an organ inside.” Then, while sipping coffee one morning, Ben got back to me with a link to a video where a man is playing not just an organ within the building, but an organ that could rise up from below the stage.
Screenshot of the YouTube video showing organist Martin Bevis performing at The Shady Nook in 1988.
Per the 2008 video description: the 1988 performance is of a man named Martin Bevis. Although the description also states that Mr. Bevis is the organist at the Victoria Theatre in nearby Dayton, Ohio—it seems he passed away in 2016. An online obituary credits him as having been playing since he was eight despite never having had lessons or learning how to read music. A further search of his name brings up several fond memories posted by fans.
Via the video’s comments, it would seem that the organ itself was sold for parts after the “Shady Nook Dinner Theatre” permanently closed. Which is a shame, because it was apparently a pretty historical instrument.
According to this website, the organ was once known as the “WLW Moon River Organ.” The story goes that Cincinnati industrialist and WLW radio station owner, Powel Crosley, Jr., had once tasked his radio staff with developing a relaxing evening program to end nightly broadcasts with. The result was “Moon River,” a show that combined musicians, poetry, and narration with a Hammond theatre organ from 1930 until 1970. That organ would eventually end up an hour north at a roadhouse called the Shady Nook.
These days, 700 WLW is a commercial station known for airing Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals games, as well as, conservative talk shows and nonstop ads for “male enhancement.” As for the Crosley Building where WLW first started and the organ originally resided, it was featured on my former Queen City Discovery site multiple times as one of the first Cincinnati-area abandoned buildings I ever explored. You can find those stories here.
The Crosley Building has been featured in my work several times over the years.
The fate of that building and its potential future, was recently covered by my friend and colleague, Nick Swartsell, in this new podcast from Cincinnati Public Radio/91.7 WVXU—the same folks who recently sent me to Oxford where I once again happened upon the remains of The Shady Nook.
Organist Martin Bevis as seen in The Shady Nook. Screenshot from the aforementioned video.
UPDATES:
I should’ve known to check with my friend and coworker who formerly worked for Miami University and is a great journalist. The below audio is a radio story from Tana Weingartner and 88.5 WMUB which aired in 2007. According to Tana, she was driving to work one morning when she saw a work truck at the Shady Nook. Grabbing her recorder, she met the man who was removing the fabled “Moon River Organ” from the restaurant. What follows is an excellent story which shines light on the history of both the instrument and the restaurant.
Additionally, another friend and coworker passed along this CD to me today (shout out to Kevin Reynolds).
Published by 91.7 WVXU (stylized as WVXYOU),, the CD features five tracks dating from 1938, 1945, and 1946.
The liner notes detail the history of the Moon River program with anecdotes like this:
“According to legend, inventor/entrepreneur [Powel Crosley, Jr.] told [WLW Production Manager Edward A. Byron] that he wanted to end the broadcast day with a show of ‘soft organ music and poetry. You’ll need a nice theme song and a poem to get the program going. Have it on the air tomorrow night.’”
The apocryphal story goes on to describe how Byron and violinist Virginia Marucci proceeded to a Court Street speakeasy to brainstorm ideas at the height of prohibition in 1930.
WLW Production Manager, Ed Byron as seen in the CD’s liner notes.
The notes continue to detail how Moon River was eventually pulled from WLW’s lineup in 1953 until a write-in campaign from fans convinced the station to bring it back. The program would keep airing until finally being cancelled in 1974. Reruns of Moon River found new life on the Xavier University owned 91.7 WVXU in the late 1970s. These broadcasts proved to be so popular that a special series of live “recreations” were held at the now defunct (maybe soon to be reborn), Emery Theatre in Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine neighborhood.
Like the Crosley Building, I’ve covered the Emery in years prior. You can find that story here.
The defunct Emery Theatre as seen in 2008.
In 1992, 91.7 WVXU produced “The Moon River Collection.” The front cover touts:
“Original broadcast recordings of the legendary WLW radio program featuring Peter Grant, the DeVore Sisters, Gladys Lee and others.”
These days, 91.7 WVXU is Cincinnati’s local NPR Network affiliate and part of Cincinnati Public Radio alongside sister-station 90.9 WGUC.
I’d describe how the music on this album sounds, but I don’t own a CD player anymore. However, readers have been sharing many memories of both the Shday Nook and Moon River in the comments below and on Facebook. Stay tuned for potentially more updates in the future, and like I previously mentioned: be sure to check out CPR’s Crosley at the Crossroads podcast.
Thanks to Tara, Metz, Ben, Kevin, and Tana for for their assistance on this story.
From the CD liner notes: “[Moon River Narrator] Peter Grant waits for his cue while organist Gladys “Happy” Lee plays for Marjorie DeVore, Barbara Cameron and Billie DeVore. The song? ‘Afraid to Dream.’”
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