In
1897, Festival Hall, originally known as the Drill Hall or Armory, was completed.
It was 40x96 feet and cost approximately $1,500. The building was constructed
of wood with a brick foundation. In addition to the drilling of the cadets,
it was used as a gymnasium and for college dances. In 1900 an addition measuring
40x40 feet was added. By 1908 the building was again enlarged and rearranged.
"The drill floor is now 61x104 feet and is surrounded by a gallery, supported
from the roof and capable of seating five hundred people. The roof is supported
by trusses so that there are no pillars to interfere with a clear view of the
floor from any part of the gallery." (1908-1909 NDAC Catalog,
p. 16)
In 1912, the Non-Partisan League held its Political Convention in the Drill Hall. Their nominations for President of the United States were: Booker T. Washington, Senator Bristow, Champ Clark, Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Robert La Follette, Eugene Debs, James Addams, and Carrie Nation. Champ Clark won the nomination.(The Agassiz [yearbook], 1912, p. 121)
In the mid-1920s, "The main section of the armory was extended 30 feet, and the rifle range widened 10 feet, and extended 30 feet" (Eighteenth Biennial Report to the Board of Administration, NDAC, 1926). Sometime between 1931-32 and 1932-1933 the name of the Armory was changed to Festival Hall. "No one knows where the name came from, but is has been suggested that it was named after the Royal Festival Hall in London." (A Farewell Tribute to Festival Hall, July 6, 1982)
In 1951, Festival Hall came close to burning down. The Spectrum reported that "fire, believed caused by a cigarette, resulted in considerable damage to the floor in Festival Hall early Thursday, March 22. The Fargo fire department was called at 6:31 a.m. and found that the blaze had a fairly good start in the rear of the building. The fire had crept along under the floor for some 30 feet toward the front of the building and it was necessary to chop a number of holes in the floor to get at the blaze. The building has no basement. Chief Fred Ward said the fire started where a large dust mop had been left. There had been a gathering in Festival Hall the night before and Wells believed a smoldering cigarette might have been swept up in the dust mop" (The Spectrum, Friday, March 30, 1951, p. 1).
In
1957, part of the roof was damaged during the June tornado, which swept across
the southeast corner of the campus.
As early as 1969 there was talk of tearing the building down. "Festival Hall Seen as Parking Facility" read the caption on page six of the April 24, 1969 edition of The Spectrum. It was not until 1982 that the building was actually slated for demolition. "The walls of Festival Hall will come tumbling down early this summer, 'probably the first week of July,' according to Gary Reinke, director of buildings and maintenance at SU. The nearly 90-year-old wooden building will be torn down, Reinke said, because it would prove too costly to bring the building up to meet fire safety regulations. Plans for a short-term parking lot for the site have been approved, he said. Although Festival Hall has served in many capacities over the years as an armory, basketball court, classroom and offices, its acoustics have always been its finest feature" (The Spectrum, May 3, 1982, p.3).
On July 6, 1982, the community turned out for the last hurrah. "Over 800 people, young and old, dressed up and dressed down in everything from blue jeans to black tuxedos, turned out last week to bid a rousing farewell to Festival Hall. Hollywood arranger and former local musician Frank Scott and an array of local talent provided the smooth, mellow, big band sound; ... and the crowd provided the energy and spirit that rocked the walls of Festival one last time." (It's Happening, 7/14/82, p.4).
During its lifetime, Festival Hall served as the stage for many world-class performers. Included in the long list are: Eugene Ormandy and the Minneapolis Sympathy, Rachmaninoff, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Paul Robeson, Grace Moore, Carl Sandburg, Marian Anderson, the Trapp Family Singers, Ezio Pinza, Burl Ives, Victor Borge, Oscar Levant, Isaac Stern, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Louis Armstrong, Jose Greco, Harry Belafonte, Mantovani, Simon and Garfunkel, Phil Ochs, Dick Gregory, George Carlin, Vincent Price and many more.
The demolition of Festival Hall began at 9:52 a.m. on July 19, 1982. The land that served as the center of campus activities for 85 years now contains a metered parking lot for the Memorial Union.
Although Festival Hall was torn down, to an extent it lives on in the Music Education center in the new, 1,000-seat Festival Concert Hall (Dedication of the Music Education Center, program, October 16, 1982).
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University Archives, 701-231-8914 Published by the University Archives, NDSU Last Updated: 8/27/04 |