Musical Fund Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Musical Fund Hall
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Musical Fund Hall in 1976
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 808 Locust St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1824 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000730 |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1971 |
The Musical Fund Hall is a very old and important building in Philadelphia. Many famous people have performed or spoken there. It's especially known for hosting the first ever Republican National Convention in 1856. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, which means it's officially recognized as a special historic place.
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Building History
This building started as the First Presbyterian Church. But in 1824, a famous architect named William Strickland turned it into the biggest music hall in Philadelphia. It was a great place for concerts!
People loved the Hall's amazing sound. A newspaper review from the first concert said it was "admirably calculated for the conveyance of sound." This means the sound traveled perfectly. The Hall was 106 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 26 feet high. Later, in 1847, Napoleon LeBrun updated the building. Then, in 1891, architect Addison Hutton made it even bigger.
Famous Performers and Speakers
Many world-famous artists, writers, and speakers visited the Musical Fund Hall. Here are some of them:
- 1825: Marquis de Lafayette, a French hero who helped America win its independence, was honored here.
- 1827: Maria Malibran, a very famous opera singer.
- 1842: Charles Dickens, a well-known English author.
- 1848: Ole Bull, a talented violinist.
- 1850 and 1851: Jenny Lind, known as "the Swedish Nightingale" for her beautiful singing. Also, Ede Reményi, a Hungarian violinist.
- 1852: Henriette Sontag and Adelina Patti, both amazing opera singers.
- 1853 and 1856: William Makepeace Thackeray, an English novelist, gave lectures.
- 1897: Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar read his own poems.
Many great pianists also played at the Hall. These included Louis Gottschalk, Kossowski, Sigismond Thalberg, and Wolfsohn.
The First Republican Convention
In 1856, a very important event happened at the Musical Fund Hall. It hosted the first ever National Republican Convention. This is where the Republican Party chose its first presidential candidate. They nominated John C. Frémont for president. William L. Dayton from New Jersey was chosen as his running mate for vice-president.
Later Years of the Hall
The year 1856 was a very busy and important one for the Musical Fund Hall. However, by the end of that year, a new, much larger concert hall opened in Philadelphia. This was the Academy of Music, which could hold 3,000 people. It quickly became the top place for concerts and lectures in the city. The Musical Fund Society, which owned the Hall, moved its concerts to the Academy of Music in 1868.
After that, the Musical Fund Hall was used for different things, like a boxing arena and a place to store tobacco. Eventually, it was left empty. Later, it was changed into apartments called condominiums. Because of this, the original concert hall inside the building no longer exists. The building was removed from the list of National Historic Landmarks, but it is still on the National Register of Historic Places.
Around 1900, the Musical Fund Society helped create the famous Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1982, the Society's collection of old music papers and documents was given to the library at the University of Pennsylvania.
