This 1950s photograph shows a group of youngsters posing on a slide that was located at the Hering House playground. Hering House, located at 726 W. Western Avenue in South Bend, was a civic center donated to the African American community in 1925 by Clarabel and Frank Hering, who was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1896-98. Often referred to as the “House of Hope,” the Hering House served as a center for community activities until it closed in 1965.