Once, the leaky roof and uneven bricks that are now nothing but rubble surrounded a vibrant cultural center of the Warren community.

It was more than a tattoo parlor and a union headquarters.

It was a place where hundreds of students went to learn music.

The one-story addition to the building at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Market Street in Warren was one of several homes of the Warren Conservatory of Music.

In the 1940s and 1950s, about 300 students each year would study piano, voice, and violin at 13 Market St.

The Conservatory catered to adults and children alike, bringing culture, learning, appreciation, and personal development to the students and community.

The Conservatory was founded in 1904 by Dr. LeRoy B. Campbell, renowned author, lecturer, musician, composer, and piano teacher.

The center was located in the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave. W., then at 239 Pennsylvania Ave. W., before taking over the 13 Market St. location.

Campbell was a faculty member of the National Piano Playing Auditions and was internationally recognized for his abilities including being twice named to the judging board of the Paris Conservatory of Music.

Campbell was still associated with the Conservatory in October of 1956 when the Market Street location closed.

Byron Swanson, who was director of the Conservatory and also founder-director of the Warren Boy Choir, purchased the house at 316 Fourth Ave. and moved the center to that location in November of 1956 in the hopes that the larger property would allow for expansion. The center closed less than 10 years later in 1964.

Information for this story courtesy of the Warren County Historical Society.