Crosley Building

Crosley Building

The Crosley Radio Corporation, which was at one time the largest manufacturer of table-top radios in the United States, was based from Cincinnati, Ohio. Headed by Powel Crosley, Jr., he pioneered the ideal of affordable radios, appliances and other housewares.

History

The history of Crosley Radio reportedly stemmed from the discovery that his youngest son desired a new crystal set radio, which at the time cost over $100. Crosley, disappointed by the high price, located a 25 cent booklet, The ABCs of Radio, to assemble his own crystal receiver.(2) This eventually led him to introduce the first low-priced mass-produced radio, the Harko, in 1920.(1) The Harko was a phenomenal success, and within a year, Crosley had become the largest manufacturer of radios in the United States.(2)

In July 1921, Crosley installed a 20-watt transmitter at his residence in College Hill, a suburb of Cincinnati, and began broadcasting his collection of phonograph records via 8XAA, his personal amateur radio station.(2) In March 1922, he received a license from the federal government, and he went on the air as the WLW, “The Nation’s Station,” with an unprecedented 50-watt signal.

That signal was increased to a staggering 500-watts in 1923 to expand the range of the reception,(2) and as a token to his influence, he awarded a box of candy to the first listener from each state that sent a telegram to the station. He received entries from 42 states and 3 Canadian provinces.

It was in this year that the Crosley Radio Corporation was founded with his brother, Lewis. A small brick structure was purchased along Arlington Street to house the burgeoning operations.(2) Crosley soon became the largest radio manufacturer in the world.(1)

In 1925, his signal was increased to 5,000 watts. An addition to the headquarters was completed on the following year, and in 1927, WLW gained sole control of the 700 kilocycle frequency, becoming the nation’s first “clear channel” station.

In 1929, an eight-story manufacturing and broadcasting center was constructed.(2) WLW’s studios moved to the eighth floor. The studios were the largest outside of New York City. It was during this time that Crosley Radio was manufacturing 2,000 radios a day, employing over 3,000. By 1930, however, it had fallen to fifth place in terms of total sales.

This hardly deterred Crosley, who was known as an inventor.(1) He ontroduced products that such as the Crosley Icyball, the first refrigerator that operated without electricity, the first car radio, an airplane, the first mass-produced electrically-based refrigerator and a fuel-efficient automobile.(1)

In 1942, manufacture of items relating to World War II consumed much of the space in the Crosley manufacturing center, so the WLW studios were moved to a new facility in downtown.(2)

In 1946, Crosley sold WLW and the Crosley Corporation to the Aviation Corporation, also known as AVCO. This allowed Crosley to focus his attention on his inventions. Three years after the sale, Crosley invented the concept of disc brakes for the automobile and the first portable television.(1) He also built a small car, the Crosley, that was a business failure.(2)

In 1956, the Crosley nameplate was removed as a brand name by AVCO, when the line was closed down due to a lack of sustainable profit.(1) Four years later, AVCO closed the Arlington Street factory.(2) The facility was subsequently sold and used for industrial storage and manufacturing.

In 1970, the Crosley Corporation purchased the rights to Crosley from AVCO, and began rebuilding the brand with the reintroduction of a line of appliances and vintage products.(1) Five years later, Multimedia, Inc. purchased WLW.(2)

Gallery

Sources

2. Giglierano, Geoffrey J., Deborah A. Overmyer, and Frederic L. Propas. “Crosley Building.” The Bicentennial Guide to Greater Cincinnati: A Portrait of Two Hundred Years. Cincinnati: Cincinnati Historical Society, 1998. 259-260. Print.