LeClaire Park Bandshell facts for kids
The LeClaire Park Bandshell, also known as the W.D. Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion, is a special outdoor stage located in LeClaire Park in Davenport, Iowa. It's a historic building that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was also listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1993, showing how important it is to the city.
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W.D. Petersen Memorial
Music Pavilion |
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Beiderbecke Drive (LeClaire Park) Davenport, Iowa |
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| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Rudolph J. Clausen |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| MPS | Davenport MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83002485 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 7, 1983 |
Contents
History
A Stage for Davenport
Around 1911, the city of Davenport started making big improvements to its riverfront. This project was led by Mayor Alfred Mueller and William D. Petersen. A group called the Levee Improvement Commission was formed that same year. This group was in charge of making the city's riverfront better.
Between 1912 and 1914, LeClaire Park was greatly improved. The goal was to have a riverfront that could be used for businesses, industries, and fun activities. The music pavilion was built in 1924 as part of these efforts to make the area beautiful. It was named after William D. Petersen.
Davenport had many people of German heritage who loved music. Because of this, the city had several band shells in different parks. These included parks like Fejervary Park, Vander Veer Botanical Park, and Schuetzen Park. The W.D. Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion is the only one of these old band shells that is still standing today. It was built in 1924, making it one of the two oldest band shells in Iowa. The other one is the East Park Band Shell in Mason City, which was also built in 1924.
Events at the Pavilion
The music pavilion is still a busy place today. It hosts many public events throughout the year. Some popular yearly events include the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival and the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra also holds its Riverfront Pops Concert there every year.
Important people have also spoken from the pavilion. For example, President George W. Bush gave a speech there in 2004. Senator Barack Obama also spoke from the pavilion in 2007. These visits show how important the pavilion is to the community.
Architecture
Design and Style
The pavilion was designed by Rudolph Clausen. He was an architect from the firm of Clausen & Kruse. This firm designed many other historic buildings in Davenport. Some of these include the Democrat Building and The Linograph Company Building. The music pavilion is located right next to Modern Woodmen Park along the riverfront.
The design of the pavilion was inspired by the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in San Diego. That pavilion was built in 1915 for a big event called the Panama–California Exposition. The Davenport pavilion looks similar to the Spreckels pavilion. It has a similar shape and size. It also has decorative flame-shaped tops called finials. There are also many fancy details at the top edge, called the cornice, and around the side openings. However, the main arch at the front and the side sections are simpler in design.
Building Features
The music pavilion is made of concrete and sits on a raised stone platform. It has a rectangular shape with a roof that peaks in the middle. The roof then flattens out towards the north and south walls. The building has many unique decorative features. These include Corinthian columns that look like they have twisted ropes. There are also tall, thin decorations that look like small towers, called minaret-shaped pinnacles. The windows have iron grates, and there are special spaces on the sides called niches.
The roofline has a complex and beautiful pattern. Many of the decorations are painted in bright colors like blue, green, and gold. These colors stand out against the natural color of the stone. The front of the pavilion, called the facade, faces east. In front of it is an outdoor area with seating on a concrete slab. To the north of the pavilion, there is a statue of Bix Beiderbecke. He was a famous jazz musician from Davenport in the 20th century.
