Dancing Pavilion (Second)
| Other Name(s) | Ballroom Second Dancing Pavilion Dancing Hall Second Dance Hall |
|---|---|
| Type | Music and Performances |
| Park Section | Midway |
| Built | 1906 |
| Opened | 1907 |
| Closed | 1937 (Park closure) |
| Fires | 1911 |
| Architect | Frank L. Packard |
| Frame | Steel |
| Length | 180 ft. (55 m) |
| Width | 22 ft. (6.7 m) |
The second Dancing Pavilion at Olentangy Park was built just south of the Old Mill in 1906[1][2] and opened for the following season on June 22, 1907.[3][4][5][6] There was dancing every afternoon and evening as well as dancing instructions for women and children for an hour in the afternoons.[7] The Loop-the-Loop and Circle Swing were built just south of the building. In 1909, the City of Columbus attempted to annex the Clinton Township land the park was near. The first ordinance took 150-foot strip of the park along High Street. The seventh and last ordinance took only a 125-foot strip, giving the original 25 feet to allow the Dancing Pavilion and all other amusements at the park to be outside of the city.[8] It has been said that half the building fell inside the boundaries of the City of Columbus, which had strict laws regarding public dancing spaces. At midnight, the dancers moved to the Franklin County side of the dance floor.[5]
Description
Frank L. Packard drew the designs of the building which had Swiss-style architecture[9] and a maple floor.[10] The building was able to be enclosed in 1909[11] and fancy glass windows were added in 1910 to provide comfort in different types of weather.[12] In 1920, the dance floor was enlarged, making it the largest in the State of Ohio.[6] A new check room was installed along with a lunch room and huge fountain, worked by 12 men, where parkgoers could purchase soft drinks.[13] Cushioned seats stood near the windows.[14] A Page console organ was added to the ballroom and installed by Page Organ Corp. from Lima, Ohio.[15]
Fires
In 1907, water from the Old Mill protected the Dancing Pavilion.[16] The fire that started in the neighboring Old Mill in July 1911 that destroyed five buildings only burned part of the Dancing Pavilion due to its steel frame. However, the floor was damaged further by the water used to put out the flames.[17] The floor was redressed and repolished for the 1913 season.[18]
Gallery
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A panoramic photo of new rides nearing completion in the Columbus Sunday Dispatch on March 28, 1909. Rides and attractions shown: Whirlwind, Shoot-the-Chutes, the Midway including the original Ye Olde Mill and second Dancing Pavilion.
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The Midway at Olentangy Park with the second Ye Olde Mill, Mysterious Sensation, Joy Mill, and second Dancing Pavilion.
See Also
References
- ↑ "Olentangy Park Opens on April 29." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 15 April 1905. Pg. 7.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, OH). 14 June 1906. Pg. 2. Clip 1 | Clip 2
- ↑ "Olentangy Park loop the loop ride and Dancing Pavilion." Columbus Neighborhoods. Photo. 1 August 2013. Accessed 17 April 2022. [1]
- ↑ "Olentangy Park Opens on April 29." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 15 April 1906. Pg. 7.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hyatt, Shirley. Clintonville and Beechwold. Arcadia Publishing, 2009.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 20 June 1907. Pg. 4.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 7 July 1907. Pg. 17.
- ↑ "Seventh and Last of Annexation Measures Passed." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 27 November 1909. Pg. 2.
- ↑ "At Work on Pavilion." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 29 April 1905. Pg. 13.
- ↑ "Improvements in Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 18 March 1906. Pg. 31.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 18 August 1910. Pg. 10.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 10 April 1910. Pg. 37.
- ↑ "At the Dance Pavilion." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 2 June 1920. Pg. 28.
- ↑ Clemens, Allen B. "Pulling One of Satan's Claws." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 4 June 1920. Pg. 4.
- ↑ Ad. The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 8 June 1930. Pg. 57.
- ↑ "Boy Leads His Two Sisters Out of a Fire at Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 5 July 1907. Pg. 13.
- ↑ "Suspect Arson in Destructive Fire at Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 17 July 1911. Pg. 1.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 27 April 1913. Pg. 51.