Charles Reich was a descendant of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Reich, who immigrated from Bad-Nauheim in Germany in the mid-1850s and opened a store at 1104 Broad Street. Their two sons, Frank C. and Fred, were born in Columbus, as well as two daughters. The Reich family prospered and bought the square block between Broadway and Front Avenues between Fifth and Sixth Streets to develop as a pleasure garden. According to Etta Blanchard Worsley’s “Columbus on the Chattahoochee.” It was “a recreation place, with the beautiful Vilal Reich in the midst, frequented by young and old alike soon after the Civil War.” The plans of the Karsal, a casino in Bad-Nauheim, were acquired by the family and used to build the grand new Villa Reich. The establishment featured a beer garden on the grounds, a dance hall with a stage in the house, party rooms upstairs, and later the living quarters of the Reich family after their home on the grounds was destroyed by fire. At some point they also build a skating rink Later the Columbus Athletic Association used part of the facilities as their gym.