Carnegie Hall, Inc. facts for kids
Carnegie Hall, Inc. is a special place for arts and culture in Lewisburg, West Virginia, USA. It's nestled in the beautiful Allegheny Mountains. This center helps people in four counties: Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, and Summers. This area is about 2,900 square miles (7,500 km2) big and has around 73,000 people.
Every year, Carnegie Hall, Inc. welcomes over 75,000 visitors! They offer exciting live shows by artists from all over the world. They also have fun arts in education programs, classes, workshops, and cool art exhibits. Carnegie Hall, Inc. is one of only eight Carnegie Halls that are still used for performances today.
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What Carnegie Hall Does
Carnegie Hall, Inc. has a great saying: "Bringing the Arts to Life!" Since 2017, their main goal has been to help everyone enjoy and appreciate art. They work with the community to offer many different programs. These programs are made to entertain, teach, and involve people of all ages and backgrounds. They also work hard to keep the historic building safe and important.
The Story of Carnegie Hall
Early Days as a School
The building we know as Carnegie Hall started as a school called Lewisburg Academy around 1812. It was founded by a pastor named Dr. John McElhenny. Boys and girls could both attend. Later, in the 1870s, the school split into two: the Greenbrier Military School and the Lewisburg Female Institute (LFI).
The Lewisburg Female Institute was a boarding school just for girls. Girls from first grade all the way to twelfth grade could study there. In 1937, LFI changed its focus. Girls could then attend for four years, which included two years of high school and two years of college. Art was always a big part of the school. Many students took music classes in the early 1900s. Girls could study many subjects like math, English, history, science, and even secretarial work.
On December 16, 1901, a fire sadly destroyed the original LFI buildings. Classes had to be held at City Hall and The Greenbrier for the rest of that school year.
Building a New Hall with Andrew Carnegie's Help
After the fire, the school needed money to rebuild. The president of the Institute, Rev. Dr. R. L. Telford, wrote to James Bertram. James Bertram was the private secretary for Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie was famous for helping many causes.
Carnegie first gave $20,000 for the new building. Then he gave another $6,750 to finish the auditorium. He asked the local community to raise $10,000. The total cost of building the new hall would be like over $1 million today!
The Lewisburg Female Institute used Carnegie Hall as classroom space until 1972. The building had a science lab, music practice rooms, an auditorium with a pipe organ, and social areas. In the 1940s and 1950s, Carnegie Hall hosted "Community Concerts." These were free concerts for Greenbrier College students and the public. They featured many different performers, mostly musicians.
The school changed its name several times over the years. It was known as Lewisburg Seminary and College of Music, Lewisburg Seminary, and Greenbrier College for Women. Finally, it became Greenbrier College. For one year, from 1971 to 1972, Greenbrier College allowed men to attend. Only four male students lived on campus, and co-ed classes were only for high school students.
Saving Carnegie Hall
In May 1972, Greenbrier College closed because not enough students were enrolling and they had money problems. After the college closed, Carnegie Hall became part of the Greenbrier Center. This center helped people with special needs.
In the early 1980s, there were rumors that the building might be torn down. But some people in Lewisburg knew how important the building was. So, in 1983, they started Carnegie Hall, Inc. At first, they offered free performances in the historic building. They wanted to bring back interest in art and history in the area. The first official season of performances began in 1990.
On Christmas Eve in 1996, a fire damaged the building again. Carnegie Hall, Inc. started a huge project to fix it up. This renovation took almost a year to complete.
Building Design and Updates
Carnegie Hall, Inc. was designed by architects Barrett & Thompson in 1902. It was built in the Georgian Revival style. This style is known for its grand front porch with tall columns and a triangular roof. It also has fancy trim, tall windows on the first floor, and decorative edges. The rest of the building is made of simple, rectangular shapes with flat roofs.
A big update was finished on June 18, 1997. Architects TAG Galyean and Kreps & Kreps (now Kreps & Zachwieja) designed it. This update added an elevator, offices, and an easier entrance for everyone.
In 2006, the front entrance was updated again. This was to follow ADA guidelines. It included a ramp, level floors, and special parking.
Famous Performers
Today, amazing artists from all over the world perform in Carnegie Hall's Hamilton Auditorium. Some famous performers include:
- Mose Allison
- Asleep at the Wheel
- Mary Chapin Carpenter
- Arlo Guthrie
- Richie Havens
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Taj Mahal
- Wynton Marsalis
- Kathy Mattea
- Josh Ritter
- Ricky Skaggs
- Isaac Stern
- The Seldom Scene
- Vienna Boys' Choir
- Doc Watson
- Gillian Welch
- Chatham County Line
Carnegie Hall Today
Carnegie Hall, Inc. is a non-profit organization. This means they use all their money to support their mission. They offer arts education and programs for kids and adults all year long in Southern West Virginia. Besides their Mainstage Series and Ivy Terrace Concert Series, they have many other art education programs.
Carnegie Hall also hosts two fun events each year to raise money. "Taste of Our Towns" (TOOT) is a street food festival. It happens every year on the second Saturday in October. The "Carnegie Hall Gala" is a fancy event held since 2017 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs.
Carnegie Hall has three art gallery spaces. It is also the permanent home of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Visitors can explore the building on their own or take a guided tour to learn more.
Other Carnegie Halls
There are seven other Carnegie Halls around the world that are still used for performances, just as they were meant to be. These include:
- Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline, Scotland. This is where Andrew Carnegie was born. It has 540 seats.
- Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This is Andrew Carnegie's adopted hometown. It's the second-biggest Carnegie Hall with 1,928 seats. It's part of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and the main Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
- Carnegie Hall on the North Side of Pittsburgh. This was the first Carnegie Music Hall to open in the USA. It's attached to the Carnegie Library there.
- Carnegie Music Hall in Braddock, Pennsylvania. This is a suburb of Pittsburgh. It's part of the Carnegie library and was added in 1893.
- Carnegie Music Hall in Homestead, Pennsylvania. This Pittsburgh suburb has a 1,022-seat hall. The building also has the Carnegie Library of Homestead, a gym, and an indoor swimming pool where Olympic athletes have trained.
- Carnegie Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. This Pittsburgh suburb has a Carnegie library and music hall.
- Andrew Carnegie also built a Library and Music Hall in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. This building was torn down in 1968.
- The most famous one is Carnegie Hall in New York City.
See also
- List of concert halls
