A friend of mine died this morning. He’d lived in Selma for twenty years and devoted that time to not only restoring the Harmony Club– a Jewish social club from the turn of the last century that had been dormant for a half-century — but to trying his damndest to revive Water Avenue along Selma’s waterfront. He doggedly kept his block clean, he hosted restaurants and bars in his building, and he maintained a weekend sidewalk salon (of which I was a regular member) for years. He knew architecture and the value of Place. He was a passionate artist, a unique mind, and a genuine character. His death leaves his friends and Selma all the worse.
Tribute from a mutual friend:
I’ve never been more happy that this video exists. Rest in peace, Dave. May your castle in the sky be one in need of restoration, with room for your unique tastes to be put to work.
Reading Freely 
He sounds like a wonderful man, someone who has touched so many others and will live on through other people. I’m sorry for your sadness at this loss and wish for the good times you remember to take the place of it soon. Take care!
Thank you. 🙂 He was an American original for sure, and a hard friend to lose.
Life has been hard on you lately. I do pray that things improve and you see more sunshine and rainbows than buffeting storms. 🌻🌞
Thank you! It’s moments like these that really expose what we’re made of.
I’m sorry to hear about your loss, Stephen. 😦 He sounds like such a charming person, a “steampunk” as he puts it! The building he restored is beautiful, too.
Thank you. And yes, the Harmony Club is beautiful. It’s unique, and made all the more so with the little touches Dave added. He’d just sold the building (and was preparing to take on another project), and I hope the development company fully restores it to its early-20th century grandeur, with the extended balconies.
Beautiful tribute to your friend. I was just watching this story about the Harmony Club on tv tonight on the show called “ You Live in What?” When I started looking for photos of the club online I noticed your beautiful tribute to your friend and his legacy.
I’m so glad! David was a wonderful person to know. So real, so opposed to the fakery and inauthenticity that rules today. Loved him dearly.
Sorry to hear this news. What has become of the Harmony Club? Is it still being used as a residence?
At the moment, yes, but just before he died (literally, 17 days prior), he’d sold the building to a development group in Florida, who wanted the HC’s other resident to stay until they were ready to begin renovating the building. That’s still 4-6 months away, so David’s friends have continued to meet on the sidewalk on a weekly basis. The conversation these days is more about movies and local news, though, lacking his more interesting architectural & philosophical debates.