Community lutlbmgg a$ ffiar Jfflentortalg 
 
 A series of bulletins published by the Bureau of Memorial Buildings of 
 War Camp Community Service , 124 East 28th Street , New York , N.Y. 
 
 Number 5 
 
 IQ19 
 
 ^Progress of 
 
 Cl )t Memorial Putlfcing Jflobement 
 
 Announcement 
 
 The Bureau of Memorial Buildings is designed to serve as a 
 clearing house of information and service in regard to planning, 
 erecting and administering community houses, auditoriums, recrea¬ 
 tion centers and other “living” memorials. The Bureau does not 
 undertake to erect or finance memorials anywhere: but by means of 
 bulletins, exhibits, speakers and personal advisory service, it is ready 
 to aid architects and memorial committees. 
 
 The National Committee on Memorial Buildings, established in 
 January, 1919, to assist in the guidance of the nation-wide movement 
 to erect community buildings as war memorials, has merged its 
 activities with those of the Bureau. This committee, composed of 
 one hundred representative men and women from all parts of the 
 country, has become the Advisory Committee on Memorial Buildings 
 of War Camp Community Service. 
 
 The Bureau, through its Advisory Committee and through co¬ 
 operation with national community service bodies, art and archi¬ 
 tectural associations, etc., has brought together a large amount of 
 expert opinion and knowledge concerning community buildings. 
 This material is being published in the series of bulletins entitled 
 “Community Buildings as War Memorials.” A list of these publica¬ 
 tions appears on the back cover. 
 
3tf. tiS 
 
 A <t 3 7 
 
 LlDnAnT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 The McKinley Memorial, Niles, Ohio. 
 
 existing ^Public gubitoriums 
 
 ®fje SSututonum as a jUemortal 
 
 T HE movement for the erection of buildings as 
 memorials of the World War, becoming as it has 
 national in its scope, is turning public attention towards 
 the country’s best examples of buildings having a com¬ 
 munity and civic aspect. An adequate auditorium, 
 democratically managed, meets a great number of com¬ 
 munity needs. In fact, even in the smaller cities the 
 auditorium is usually a vital part of the memorial 
 community building. Such a common meeting place 
 may afford recreation, instruction and service, not to 
 one class alone, but to all; old and young; educated and 
 uneducated; the poor as well as the rich. 
 
 The Great War was a war of democracy. Every class 
 and creed, every stratum of society, helped to win it. 
 Our armies were made up of men from every walk of 
 life, and the civic, patriotic, and other organizations 
 at home that contributed so much towards its success¬ 
 ful conclusion, were in no less measure made up of men 
 and women representative of every branch of society. 
 
Commumtp Putttnngg as ®0ar jHemortals 
 
 Nothing could therefore be a more fitting memorial to 
 those who fought abroad and to those who toiled at 
 home than a memorial dedicated to the service of all 
 classes—democratic in its every purpose, and with 
 special provision for such organizations of returned 
 soldiers as the American Legion. Hence a study of the 
 more successful of our existing public auditoriums is 
 most timely. 
 
 In the following pages will be found brief descriptions 
 of such buildings that may prove of interest, and value 
 to communities contemplating the erection of memorial 
 auditoriums. 
 
(Existing public Subitoriums 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 
 
 The San Francisco auditorium is located in what is 
 known as the civic center, and is a part of the $14,000,000 
 improvement which the city undertook some six or 
 seven years ago, and which is now nearly completed. 
 The Exposition Memorial Auditorium, as it is called, 
 occupies an entire block, and is located at a central 
 point, easily accessible from all sections of the city. 
 
 The auditorium was erected by the Pan-Pacific Inter¬ 
 national Exposition for the specific use of the congresses 
 and conventions which met at San Francisco in 1915. 
 
 The front of the building is of concrete and California 
 granite, with a large facade and triple entrance with 
 elaborately carved decorations and an ornamental 
 marquise over the doorways. It is four stories high, 
 the main auditorium being located in the center, and 
 extending throughout the four stories, with a pyra¬ 
 midal roof and an ornamental lantern at the apex. 
 
 The building is entered through large vestibules, a 
 wide corridor forming an entrance foyer. On either 
 side of the main auditorium are convention halls and 
 committee rooms of various sizes. The seating capacity 
 of the main auditorium is 12,000 and that of the two 
 smaller halls 750 and 900 respectively. Altogether 
 there are eleven halls and nineteen smaller rooms in 
 the building. By a series of rolling partitions, several of 
 the larger of these rooms may be thrown together and 
 converted into halls each seating about 250 people. 
 
 There are thirty-seven separate exits; fourteen stair¬ 
 ways, each eight feet wide, ascending to the upper 
 
 3 
 
Commumtp JSutltnngs; as; Mar Jllcmortals; 
 
 San Francisco Auditorium—the most expensive building of its kind in America—was erected 
 in 1915 at. a cost of $14,000,000. The main auditorium seats 12,000 people, and there are 
 eleven other assembly halls and nineteen smaller rooms in the building. 
 
 4 
 
(Existing public Subitoriums 
 
 floors; and twenty-six checking rooms. It has been 
 estimated that when the building is crowded to capacity 
 it can be emptied of its occupants in from six to seven 
 minutes without confusion. There are two passenger 
 and two freight elevators,which run the whole height of 
 the building, besides two freight elevators which run 
 from the basement to the main auditorium floor. 
 
 The interior of the main auditorium is treated in an 
 impressive manner architecturally. The ceiling follows 
 the lines of the polygonal roof, with the steel trusses ex¬ 
 posed to view. A large skylight at the top of the pyra¬ 
 midal roof furnishes light to the interior, and electric 
 fixtures distributed on the ceiling and walls supply the 
 necessary artificial illumination. 
 
 One of the features of the Exposition Memorial 
 Auditorium is a large organ. This instrument was orig¬ 
 inally installed in the festival hall of the exposition. 
 It is now frequently in use for public concerts. 
 
 The basement contains a kitchen, locker rooms, 
 storage spaces, lavatories for men and women, and the 
 heating and ventilating plants. 
 
 In round numbers, the building cost two million 
 dollars. The land and the granite for the fagade were 
 paid for by the city of San Francisco at a cost of 
 $710,000 and $210,000 respectively. The Panama- 
 Pacific Exposition used $1,000,000 to construct the 
 building. The Exposition Memorial Auditorium is the 
 most costly and the finest structure of its kind in 
 America. 
 
 5 
 
Commumtp JgutlUtttgs as OTar jHemortals 
 
 When the proposed memorial building has been 
 erected, completing the San Francisco Civic Center, it 
 will be one of the best in the country. 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 
 
 The Springfield, Mass., auditorium is also one of a 
 group of buildings forming a civic center. Spring¬ 
 field’s municipal building commission worked for seven 
 years on the plans for this civic center, and the design 
 was selected as the result of a competition in which 
 leading architects of the country participated. The 
 group consists of two classic structures of splendid style 
 and proportion with a stately campanile rising between 
 them to a height of 300 feet. 
 
 The auditorium, the westerly building of the group, 
 contains a beautiful hall seating .4,000 people and a 
 basement devoted to one great room for exhibition 
 purposes. The campanile serves no practical purpose 
 other than the housing of a large electrically illuminated 
 clock which can be read two miles away, and a $10,000 
 set of chimes given by individuals and civic organiza¬ 
 tions. The group is of steel and reinforced concrete with 
 Indian limestone facing, with the halls, stairways and 
 corridors of the administration building of polished 
 marble. The municipal group, facing Court Square, 
 dominates the landscape for miles around. 
 
 The possession of such a fine auditorium has brought 
 to Springfield the very best of music and entertainment, 
 which has served not only to afford its residents enter¬ 
 tainment of the best sort, but to make Springfield more 
 
 6 
 
(Existing Public &ubitoriums 
 
 and more a center of culture. Extravagant praise has 
 been bestowed upon the acoustics of the auditorium by 
 distinguished speakers and celebrated artists. 
 
 Springfield acknowledges today that the loss of her 
 city hall by fire in 1906 was one of the greatest bless¬ 
 ings which ever came to the city. Civic and municipal 
 needs had completely outgrown the accommodations 
 offered by the old building but no steps had been taken 
 to replace it, action having been postponed until a fit¬ 
 ting structure could 
 be afforded. The city A 
 
 might not yet have 
 been spurred to action 
 and the magnificent 
 civic group might not 
 yet have materialized 
 but for the fire. 
 
 The Springfield (Mass.) Civic 
 Center. This group, consisting 
 of two classic buildings and a 
 campanile 300 feet high, cost 
 S'r,800,000. Pell and Corbett, 
 • architects. 
 
 7 
 
Commumtp PtuUitngg as! (Hat JJlemortals! 
 
 DENVER, COL. 
 
 Denver claims, in her municipal auditorium, the most 
 handsomely decorated public hall in America. Its full 
 capacity is 12,500 people. A disappearing proscenium 
 arch, when down, creates a hippodrome stage and 
 theatre with seating capacity of 3,300. The building 
 was erected by bond issue, and cost, exclusive of ground, 
 $450,000. Recently $24,000 was spent in perfecting the 
 acoustics and redecorating the interior. 
 
 The late Mayor Robert W. Speer, several years ago 
 inaugurated the policy of granting use of the audi¬ 
 torium free, in consideration of free admission to the 
 public, whenever an entertainment is of a nature to 
 justify. Free auditorium entertainments include win¬ 
 ter Sunday band concerts by the municipal band, with 
 educational moving pictures and community singing; 
 patriotic holiday programs; playground festivals; free 
 
 8 
 
(Sxtstmg Public gtoiittoriumsi 
 
 election returns; world’s series baseball results; poultry 
 and flower shows. 
 
 By voluntary subscription Denver citizens and indus¬ 
 tries contributed $50,000 for a municipal pipe-organ. 
 Soon after its installation, Madame Schumann-Heink 
 sang at an organ benefit to 12,000 people. As a result 
 of such general interest in municipal music, daily organ 
 recitals at noon and special Sunday concerts, all free, 
 were inauguarated. The city also arranges popular 
 priced concerts by leading operatic stars during the 
 winter seasons. 
 
 The organ, fitted with the latest orchestral improve¬ 
 ments, extends to all classes the opportunity to hear 
 good music and, at the same time, adds inmeasurably 
 to the use of the auditorium as a municipal social center. 
 
 OAKLAND, CAL. 
 
 Oakland has a million-dollar municipal building 
 
 The Municipal Auditorium, Oakland, Cal. This building contains a feature which is being 
 incorporated into some of the new memorial auditoriums—an art gallery. 
 
 9 
 
Commumtp Putliiiitgg ag liar jflflemorialg 
 
 erected in 1915- The structure is of white marble, and 
 contains an art gallery. Its opening celebrations lasted 
 three days, and were said to have witnessed the greatest 
 gatherings in the history of the city up to that time. 
 Fifteen thousand participants and spectators attended 
 
 First and second floor plans—Oakland Auditorium (note arrangement of corridors for exhibi¬ 
 tion purposes). 
 
 10 
 
existing public gututonums 
 
 the opening ball, which was called “The Dance of a 
 Thousand Colors.” The forty-eight boxes in the audi¬ 
 torium were filled with prominent visitors, among whom 
 were the governor and the president of the exposition. 
 John J. Donovan, architect, Henry Hornbostel, con¬ 
 sulting architect. 
 
 Third floor plan, Oakland Auditorium. In addi¬ 
 tion to the fully equipped theatre and stage 
 designed as a part of the building, there is a 
 small stage at one end of the ballroom for 
 amateur plays and tryouts. 
 
 ST. JOSEPH, MO. 
 
 An admirable structure 
 of its size and kind is the 
 St. Joseph, Mo., auditor¬ 
 ium, which cost approxi¬ 
 mately $250,000 exclusive 
 of the ground. The build¬ 
 ing is 140 feet wide, 235 
 feet long (outside dimen¬ 
 sions), has three floors, 
 namely, arena, dress circle, 
 and gallery, with a seating 
 capacity of 3,200, but 1,800 
 chairs can be placed in the 
 arena, which is 165 feet 
 long and 70 feet wide, 
 making a seating capacity 
 of 5,000. At the north end 
 is located the stage, which 
 is 100 feet wide, 50 feet 
 deep, with a height of 70 
 feet, the proscenium arch 
 being 48 feet wide. E. J. 
 Eckel, architect. 
 
Commumtp Putllitngg as l®ar iHlemortals 
 
 The 3 t. Joseph 
 (Mo.) Audi¬ 
 torium. 
 
 The stage of 
 the St. Joseph 
 Auditorium. 
 
 12 
 
existing Public gubitoriums 
 
 PORTLAND, ORE. 
 
 The auditorium at Portland, Ore., was completed 
 and dedicated September 5, 1917. This building is of 
 reinforced concrete construction, with brick and terra¬ 
 cotta trimming; is four stories in height, and occupies a 
 block 200 by 200 feet; has seating capacity of 3,560, but 
 by making use of side assembly halls this capacity can 
 be increased to 5,500. The plan of construction is that 
 
 The Portland, Ore., Auditorium, widely known for its contribution to Portland’s civic spirit. 
 
 of a theatre. It has rear and side balconies. A first- 
 class pipe organ, costing $25,000, is one of the features of 
 this auditorium. The acoustics of this building are 
 perfect without the aid of mechanical devices. 
 
 '3 
 
Commumtp Jluttotngs as liar jWemorialsi 
 
 ST. PAUL, MINN. 
 
 The St. Paul municipal auditorium has several 
 unique features, and from an architectural standpoint 
 is said to be second to none, with the possible exception 
 of the San Francisco auditorium, which cost $1,210,000 
 as compared to $400,000 expended for the St. Paul 
 building. 
 
 The most interesting feature of this auditorium is its 
 movable stage. By means of this stage the building 
 can be made a thoroughly up-to-date opera house, with 
 all the comforts of the best theatres in the country, and 
 seating 3,200 people, or it can be converted into a huge 
 arena, accommodating 12,000 people, and suitable for 
 large industrial exhibits, conventions, boxing matches, 
 spectacular pageants, or circuses. 
 
 On either side of the movable stage floor, and at 
 about the center of the auditorium, are tiers of boxes. 
 When the auditorium is used for other than theatrical 
 performances, these tiers of boxes are swung back 
 against the walls on hinges, the stage floor is lowered, 
 and the orchestra pit raised by hydraulics, so that the 
 entire main floor of the building is on the same level. 
 The proscenium arch is divided in the center, one half 
 sliding up and the other half sliding down, each being 
 counterbalanced and operated by electricity. There is 
 an ample scene-loft, which, when not in use, is hidden by 
 a false ceiling. 
 
 St. Paul has found the auditorium to be one of the 
 best advertising features the city has ever undertaken, 
 attracting, as it does, big commercial conventions from 
 
 14 
 
(Existing public Subitoriums 
 
 Two views 
 showing St. 
 Paul Auditori¬ 
 um as it is ar¬ 
 ranged when 
 used for oper¬ 
 atic perform¬ 
 ances. 
 
 The stage and 
 proscenium arch 
 as well as the 
 side boxes are 
 removable (see 
 lower right- 
 hand diagram 
 on the follow¬ 
 ing page). 
 
 15 
 
i 1 . . iiiiiiiiiiiii. . iBniar. iiiiHiimiii t 
 
 Community JJuiltiings as JWat Jllemorials 
 
 16 
 
 j 111 i T~ 
 
(Existing Public Sututoriums 
 
 ThelTaft Ban- 
 quet, showing 
 2,000 people 
 seated on the 
 auditorium 
 stage. When the 
 time arrived for 
 the guest of 
 honor to speak, 
 the curtain was 
 raised, and 
 much to his 
 surprise Mr. 
 Taft faced an 
 extra 4,000 who 
 had been 
 quietly ad¬ 
 mitted during 
 the dinner. 
 
 Ticket Office Foyer, St. Paul Auditorium. 
 
 Exterior St. Paul Auditorium, showing 
 main entrance. 
 
 17 
 
Commumtp Putltnngs as! liar jHemimaliS 
 
 all parts of the country, and making it possible for its 
 citizens to enjoy treats in the entertainment line not 
 otherwise possible. Grand opera is given here on a 
 scale equalled only at New York or Chicago. Caruso 
 gave a concert here before 7,000 people, thought to be 
 the largest audience ever assembled to hear a single 
 performer under cover. Some years ago a banquet 
 was given on the stage part of the auditorium, in honor 
 of ex-President Taft, at which 2,000 people were seated. 
 When the banquet was over, the curtain was raised and 
 Mr. Taft addressed an audience of 4,000, which had 
 been admitted quietly into the theatre part of the 
 building. The St. Paul winter carnival would not be 
 possible without the auditorium. The building has 
 perfect acoustics, both when it is used as a theatre, and 
 when it is converted into a huge arena. 
 
 The charter provides that the auditorium is to be 
 operated at cost. The building is rented the same as 
 any privately owned building, and when it is used for 
 city purposes the cost of operation is paid from the 
 general fund. The average cost of maintenance and 
 operation is approximately $16,500 per annum, and the 
 yearly receipts have been exceeding this amount by 
 about $2,000. 
 
 MILWAUKEE, WIS. 
 
 After the burning of the old exposition building in 
 1905, Milwaukee was confronted by the problem of 
 adequately housing the numerous conventions and 
 exhibitions that take place in the industrial center. 
 
 The city owned the land on which the old exposition 
 
 18 
 
existing -public iHutiitoriums 
 
 The Milwaukee 
 Auditorium, 
 counting the 
 seating capacity 
 of all of its halls, 
 accommodates 
 15,700 people. 
 Nearly a thou¬ 
 sand meetings, 
 bringing large 
 numbers of 
 people together, 
 were held here 
 within one year. 
 These include 
 such activities 
 as national con¬ 
 ventions, mass- 
 meetings, lec¬ 
 tures, concerts, 
 dances, and 
 even circuses. 
 
 building had stood, so it was unnecessary to make a 
 large initial outlay for a site. The legislature empowered 
 the city to vote a bond issue of $250,000 for the project, 
 and a like sum was raised by popular subscription, 
 thus providing a total building fund of $500,000. The 
 law provides for a governing board of eleven members, 
 
 19 
 
Commumtp Puiltmtgs asf ®®at jHemorials 
 
 five representatives of the private corporation, repre¬ 
 senting the stockholders, and six city officials. The 
 auditorium company is a separate corporation, and 
 half owner of the auditorium, while the municipality 
 owns the other half. 
 
 The plan of the building, selected in an architectural 
 competition, makes the structure useful in the most 
 diversified ways. For large conventions, mass-meetings, 
 balls, horse shows, and similar events, the hall will seat 
 10,000 people, and is provided with every convenience 
 of check rooms, lavatories, exits, etc. It can also be 
 divided into seven separate halls, which can all be used 
 at the same time without confusion or inconvenience to 
 the different assemblies. 
 
 The building occupies a full city block, and is built in 
 two wings. The larger wing contains the main hall, 
 designed on the order of a huge arena or ampitheatre. 
 The floor of the arena is of concrete and steel, and rests 
 direttly on the ground, so that it is able to bear any 
 strain placed upon it, such as heavy machinery, for 
 instance. A portable wooden floor covers the concrete 
 surface when a ball is held in the auditorium, and rows 
 of movable seats may be placed upon it to accommodate 
 audiences when necessary. Sixty-two boxes encircle the 
 arena, and directly behind these rise tiers, of permanently 
 installed seats. The gallery is directly above. The oval 
 of the hall is cut off at one end by a large and well- 
 equipped stage, having a flexible false proscenium 
 opening, and dressing-rooms, lighting equipment, and 
 scene loft ample for almost any type of production. 
 
 20 
 
Cxtsrttng public SUiintoriums 
 
 Around the outside of the auditorium runs a grand 
 promenade, twelve feet wide. Under the slope of the 
 parquet seats, and opening upon this arcade, are booths. 
 These are available for sale or exhibition purposes, or 
 may be used as check rooms when necessary. Exits on 
 all sides and the use of inclines instead of stairways 
 make the handling of large crowds an easy matter. 
 
 The other wing of the building is about half the size of 
 the larger one, and has a central rotunda two stories 
 high. Two assembly halls open off this on each floor. 
 In the portion of the building connecting the two wings 
 are several lounge rooms and committee rooms, and the 
 grand stair hall. Ticket offices are located in the ro¬ 
 tunda, and at the main entrance to the auditorium. 
 In the basement of the small wing are located a market 
 hall, kitchen storage rooms, and the heat and power 
 plants. 
 
 In mass and 
 detail,the 
 architects of the 
 Houston Muni- 
 c i p a 1 Audi¬ 
 torium have 
 achieved a 
 pleasing sugges¬ 
 tion of infor¬ 
 mality which is 
 in strong con¬ 
 trast to the cold, 
 forbidding ap¬ 
 pearance of 
 many public 
 buildings. 
 
 21 
 
Communttp Putttitngs as liar JJlemortals 
 
 Interior, Hous¬ 
 ton Auditorium, 
 showing large 
 auditorium. 
 
 Smaller audi¬ 
 torium. 
 
 22 
 
(Existing public Subitoriums 
 
 HOUSTON, TEXAS 
 
 The stimulating effect which the municipal auditorium 
 of Houston, Texas, has had upon the growth of the city, 
 both directly and indirectly, can only be estimated by 
 the number of conventions which its presence has 
 attracted to the city. The facilities for holding big 
 meetings in the auditorium, has brought new business 
 and new citizens to the community, and materially 
 furthered its welfare and prosperity. 
 
 A feature of the auditorium, which cannot be spoken 
 of too highly, is the results which its presence has had 
 upon the citizens of the municipality, through the edu¬ 
 cational advantages and entertainments they have 
 been able to enjoy here absolutely free of charge. 
 
 The municipal auditorium was built in 1910, entirely 
 from city revenue. The fact that not even a bond issue 
 was necessary to complete the financing of one of the 
 most spacious and up-to-date buildings of the sort in 
 the country, is sufficient commentary on the progres¬ 
 siveness of this Southern city. The cost of the building 
 and equipment was $350,000, and the ground on which 
 it is located $100,000. The auditorium is maintained 
 by the city, and is not, from a financial standpoint, a 
 profit-making investment. Although the expense for 
 the maintenance is greater than the receipts by several 
 thousand dollars each year, the city authorities feel that 
 more good is being done the city by a free auditorium 
 than if it were converted into a money-making propo¬ 
 sition. 
 
 23 
 
Commumtp JSutUitngg as! liar Jttemorials! 
 
 24 
 
(Existing Public Subttortums 
 
 KANSAS CITY, MO. 
 
 The Kansas City Convention Hall is one of the big¬ 
 gest of its kind in the country. It was erected in 1903, 
 largely through popular subscription, and within a 
 period of three months. The short time given to its 
 construction was due to the imminence of a national 
 Democratic convention, the predecessor of this hall, 
 like the one at Milwaukee, having been destroyed by 
 fire. The cost was about $400,000. 
 
 Convention Hall is a large square structure, not 
 unlike an armory in general design, though having a 
 somewhat more decorative exterior than is usually 
 associated with that sort of building. It is made of 
 steel, brick and concrete, with a series of arched door¬ 
 ways opening directly from the main floor onto the 
 street. 
 
 For more than fifteen years the Kansas City Con¬ 
 vention Hall has served the community admirably in a 
 great many ways. During the war it was of very mate¬ 
 rial help in forwarding the various patriotic and military 
 activities. A brief abstract from the report of the secre¬ 
 tary for 1918 is interesting, in showing some of the many 
 uses to which this auditorium was put during one year. 
 It reads as follows: Military purposes, 52 days, 51 
 nights; patriotic meetings, 8 days, 6 nights; conventions 
 and trade exhibits, 32 days, 30 nights; poultry and stock 
 shows, 13 days, 13 nights; opera and theatrical per¬ 
 formances, 2 days, 10 nights; concerts, 6 days, 8 nights; 
 athletic events, 6 days, 17 nights; balls, 6 nights; mis¬ 
 cellaneous, 3 days, 4 nights. Altogether the hall was 
 used a total of 270 times. 
 
 25 
 
Commumtp PutltongS asf Mar jUlemonals 
 
 JH #roup of exiting JWemortal Putl&tngs 
 
 PITTSBURGH, PA. 
 
 Unlike many other memorials erected in its time, the 
 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial, at Pittsburgh, Pa., is 
 essentially a useful one, containing several large halls 
 and accessories, without detriment to the monumental 
 character so essential 
 to a structure of its 
 type. The first floor 
 contains an immense 
 auditorium, seating 
 3,000, with natural 
 light on all sides. Sur¬ 
 rounding this room 
 is a memorial cor¬ 
 ridor in whose walls 
 are niches containing 
 memorial sculptures, 
 and bronze tablets 
 inscribed with the 
 names of the heroic 
 dead of the Civil War 
 and the Spanish- 
 American War from 
 Allegheny County. 
 
 Two large post rooms 
 flank the main en¬ 
 trance. The corners 
 
 main c-trueturQ Detail of front elevation, Allegheny County Soldiers’ 
 U1 LI1C Illdlll b true lure and Sailors’ Memorial Building. 
 
 26 
 
(Existing public ^luiiitoriums 
 
 enclose the elevators and staircases. Above the audi¬ 
 torium is a large banquet-hall with a visitors’ gallery 
 encircled by minor rooms such as the library, museum, 
 kitchen, and administrative offices. 
 
 The heavy trusses spanning the auditorium are of 
 considerable depth, and the space thus rendered useless 
 for habitation has been utilized for an elaborate scheme 
 of direct and indirect lighting. Electric lights of all 
 qualities and kinds have been combined into a deco¬ 
 rative scheme of intense brilliancy, lighting not only 
 the hall, but serving as a feature of interest from the 
 exterior, from which it is plainly visible. The frame of 
 the building is steel, and the exterior is of sandstone; 
 marble, wood, and bronze are lavishly used in the in¬ 
 terior. The cost was approximately $1,000,000. The 
 structure is used not only for the purpose originally 
 intended, but for public meetings and entertainments, 
 thus affording the county ample means for its main¬ 
 tenance. Palmer and Hornbostel, architects. 
 
 EVANSVILLE, IND. 
 
 A memorial building, purely classic in design, is the 
 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Coliseum at Evansville, 
 Ind., shown in the accompanying illustration. It was 
 built in honor of the soldiers and sailors of the Civil 
 and Spanish-American Wars, and as a memorial com¬ 
 munity building. It contains a large auditorium, with a 
 total seating capacity of nearly 5,000, and in addition 
 has a large number of rooms for public use. There is a 
 patriotic room, a branch of the public library, rooms for 
 the use of various societies, and for the use of soldiers and 
 
 27 
 
Commumtp jJSutlimigs; as mar jUlemorials 
 
 sailors and their allied organizations. The total cost of 
 the building was approximately $265,000. The building 
 was designed and supervised by Clifford Shopbell and 
 Company, architects, Evansville, Ind. 
 
 COLUMBUS, OHIO 
 
 The Franklin County Memorial Building at Colum¬ 
 bus, Ohio, was erected in 1903, to commemorate the 
 services of soldiers, sailors, marines, and pioneers of the 
 county. It comprises an auditorium seating 4,000 peo¬ 
 ple, and several smaller assembly and exhibition rooms, 
 and is the headquarters of more than thirty war and 
 pioneer organizations of the county. 
 
 The exterior of the building is finished in light grey 
 pressed block, with Bedford stone trimmings. The ap¬ 
 proach consists of a series of stone steps, leading past 
 six stone columns into the loggia, and from there into a 
 marble decorated vestibule and rotunda. Opening off 
 of this large rotunda are spacious lodge rooms, ante- 
 
 28 
 
(Existing Public Subitoriums 
 
 rooms and cloakrooms. The auditorium, which is in 
 the rear portion of the building, may be entered from 
 this vestibule. On the second floor are the various rooms 
 for accommodation of patriotic and other organizations 
 which have their headquarters here. 
 
 The cost of the building and ground was $250,000. 
 The money was raised by a bond issue, and the memorial 
 building was erected by a commission of five, appointed 
 by the governor. 
 
 SAVANNAH, GA. 
 
 •A conspicuous example of a municipal auditorium in 
 the South is that at Savannah, Ga. The auditorium 
 was built by a City of Savannah bond issue, amounting 
 to $250,000, in 1917. 
 
 The auditorium is used as a community center. Dur- 
 
 29 
 
Commumtp ISuilbingsi as War Jflemorials 
 
 The Savannah 
 Auditorium 
 (left) furnishes 
 an excellent ex¬ 
 ample of a big 
 civic building 
 used as a center 
 of community 
 as well as civic 
 life. 
 
 ing the war the War Camp Community Service held 
 “sings” in the building every Sunday afternoon, and 
 also gave entertainments with local talent for war bene¬ 
 fit. These “get-togethers” were a big success, and steps 
 have been taken for regular peace-time programs of a 
 similar sort, involving the use of the stage, which is 
 very large, and fully equipped and lighted. 
 
 The main auditorium is called Davant Hall, being 
 named after the late Mayor Davant, who was mayor 
 when the bond issue was floated. The small audi¬ 
 torium on the third floor is called Gregory Hall, being 
 named after the late George A. Gregory, who was also 
 instrumental in getting the bond issue before the 
 people. Gregory Hall has a seating capacity of 400, 
 and a small stage is very useful for small entertain¬ 
 ments. There are three committee rooms, directors’ 
 room, manager’s office, and ticket office in the building. 
 
 “This building, which has been responsible for bring¬ 
 ing to Savannah so much good talent not otherwise 
 
 30 
 
existing public Sututoriums 
 
 available, was completed in December, 1917, and was 
 opened by a concert given by Miss Margaret Woodrow 
 Wilson, the daughter of the President, on December 
 10,1917.” 
 
 The auditorium is self-supporting, in spite of its use 
 as a community center, and the large number of enter¬ 
 tainments, for which the city donates the free use of 
 the building. Through such dual use for community 
 and commercial purposes, a memorial building may be 
 made self-supporting without affecting its true func¬ 
 tion as a democratic center. The architect of this 
 building is Henrik Wallin. 
 
 ROANOKE, VA. 
 
 Roanoke, Va., has also an auditorium with a seating 
 capacity of 4,500, undertaken in an interesting manner. 
 Officials of the principal railroad running through 
 Roanoke made the city a “sporting proposition” to the 
 effect that they would erect a beautiful hotel adequate 
 
 31 
 
Communttp Jlutltungg as (Mar Jllemonals 
 
 to take care of any convention crowd if the city would 
 undertake to build an auditorium ambitious enough in 
 size and construction to make Roanoke an attractive 
 convention city. Funds for the auditorium were raised 
 at once by popular subscription, and the building was 
 completed in 1914. 
 
 Small-town 
 life could be 
 rendered im¬ 
 measurably 
 more attract¬ 
 ive anywhere 
 by the acqui¬ 
 sition of such 
 an auditorium 
 as Longmont, 
 Col., already 
 has. 
 
 TWO SMALL AUDITORIUMS 
 
 Two small-town buildings, each filling its mission as 
 a center of community life and activity, are the muni¬ 
 cipal auditorium at Longmont, Col., and the McKinley 
 Memorial, at Niles, Ohio. 
 
 The new municipal auditorium and community 
 building was recently erected at Longmont, Col., 
 through the joint efforts of the city officials, the Play¬ 
 ground Association, and the Longmont Commercial 
 Association. Longmont is one of a circuit of Chau¬ 
 tauqua towns and each summer the sessions have been 
 held in an open-air, uncomfortable tent. One of the 
 
 32 
 
Cxtetmg Public Auditoriums 
 
 primary ideas in the construction of the new auditorium 
 was to provide adequate and comfortable accommoda¬ 
 tions for the Chautauqua crowds and other community 
 festivals, and to secure a convenient place for exhibition 
 purposes during the county fair season. All sorts of 
 organized recreational and social activities have been 
 developed around the building since its erection. It is 
 planned to park the entire area surrounding the audi¬ 
 torium, thus transforming it into a landscape garden, and 
 further emphasizing the informal appearance of the two. 
 
 The McKinley Memorial at Niles, Ohio, is widely 
 different in appearance. It is of monumental character 
 and contains an auditorium, a library, and a statue of 
 the late President McKinley, prominently placed. 
 
 The division of the building naturally fell into two 
 separate parts, one containing the auditorium and one 
 containing the library, suggesting a treatment that is 
 claimed to be unique in this country. Instead of put¬ 
 ting one over the other, a scheme objectionable on 
 account of the difficulty of access to the public, the 
 architects conceived the idea of putting both depart¬ 
 ments of the building on the ground floor and con¬ 
 necting them with a court of honor, or atrium, surrounded 
 by a peristyle of Greek Doric columns, especially made 
 for the reception of the statue of President McKinley. 
 The propylsea, or colonnade, forming the entrance to 
 this court of honor, dominates the main facade of the 
 building and gives access to the court through a double 
 row of twelve columns. To the visitor approaching the 
 building the statue is thus visible through the propy- 
 
 33 
 
Communttp Putltrings as ®Mar jWemortals 
 
 One of the at¬ 
 tractive fea¬ 
 tures of the 
 Hill Memorial 
 Auditorium is 
 its setting. 
 Nothing adds 
 more to the 
 beautyofsuch 
 a structure 
 than well laid- 
 out groun ds. 
 
 34 
 
existing public Subitoriums 
 
 laea from afar and occupies the most conspicuous point 
 in the plan. The court itself is laid out as an Italian 
 garden, adorned with hedges, vases and parterres, 
 designed to enhance the effect of the principal statue. 
 
 The auditorium, alluded to above, occupies the right 
 wing of the building, and is designed to accommodate 
 5,000 people, and has a semi-circular stage for the 
 orchestra. It is of the full height of the building. 
 
 The library on the opposite side of the court contains 
 the public exchange, surrounded by reading and refer¬ 
 ence rooms, the librarian’s room, and the open stack 
 room. This portion of the building contains two stories, 
 the rooms in the second story being devoted to various 
 minor studies, and a room designed for the exhibition of 
 McKinley memorabilia. 
 
 This building is the headquarters of the Niles Cham¬ 
 ber of Commerce. The cost was $300,000, exclusive 
 of land. 
 
 Cfje Hill iWemorial gubttorium 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 
 
 So many of our universities have turned their atten¬ 
 tion to the erection of memorial halls, auditoriums, or 
 democratic structures, resembling the college union in 
 general interest to the student body, that it will not be 
 amiss to call attention here to some unusual details in 
 the construction of the Hill Memorial Auditorium, 
 one of the University of Michigan buildings, popular 
 for student meetings, organ recitals, and such uses. 
 
 35 
 
Commumtp PuUbtngs as USar jWemortals 
 
 The Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Neb. 
 
 It was only after making extensive investigations 
 into the construction of the auditoriums and halls of 
 different cities, and into all available printed material 
 on the subject, that the architect, Albert Kalm, and the 
 chief engineer, L. T. N. Hoyt, began the actual work of 
 designing the building. 
 
 The main problem was that of acoustics. Almost all 
 auditoriums the size proposed (to contain 5,000 seats) 
 were constructed along convention hall lines: i.e., a 
 parallelogram, with flat floors and galleries around three 
 sides. The theatre interior was not readily adaptable 
 to so large a scale, but finally this type was adopted. 
 
 The wall and ceiling spaces, even back of the platform, 
 have been so arranged, both as to shape and treatment 
 (see illustration), as to furnish much more deflective 
 surface than any theatie of average size would require, 
 making the acoustics perfect for all the normal pur¬ 
 poses of the hall. The platform itself is so constructed 
 
 36 
 
existing public SubitoriumS 
 
 The Town Hall, Milford, Conn., 
 furnishes a good example of the 
 unpretentious public building. 
 In common with several of the 
 memorial schemes it combines 
 a community hall with the pro¬ 
 vision for city business offices. 
 
 37 
 
Commumtp Puiliiings as liar memorials 
 
 “The Arena,” 
 Seattle’s pub- 
 licauditorium 
 and amuse¬ 
 ment center. 
 
 of hollow tile as to form a resonator. Where the audi¬ 
 torium is not needed for dramatic productions of any 
 kind, such a design as has here been worked out solves 
 many problems of the extra-size assembly hall. (Note 
 the arrangement of the ceiling heights, so strong as to 
 be used in whatever grouping is required.) The back of 
 the proscenium opening, however, and the ceiling above 
 it, are necessarily so constructed as to forbid the 
 allowance of any olf-stage space. 
 
 In offering examples of the country’s most successful 
 civic auditoriums for the information and guidance of 
 local committees, the Bureau of Memorial Buildings has 
 no intention of placing undue emphasis on the purely 
 commercial aspects of their usefulness. These are men¬ 
 tioned in order to show the infinite number of ways in 
 which such a building may justify itself. In no case will 
 it be justifiable to seize the impulse of commemoration 
 which is one of the moving forces of the moment, as a 
 means of obtaining buildings long needed for commer- 
 
 38 
 
(Existing Public aubitoriums 
 
 cial advancement and purely practical purposes. No 
 one should consider the building a utilitarian monument 
 as opposed to an artistic one. It will be built of brick 
 and stone and mortar, it is true, and it will house many 
 public service activities and many hitherto unhoused 
 local groups. But if it is to stand a worthy tribute to 
 those whom it would honor, it must be built also of the 
 very spirit and soul of the community; for “throughout 
 the stream of human life and thought and activity, men 
 have ever felt the need to build, and from the need arose 
 the power to build. ... As they thought, they built, 
 for strange as it may seem, they could build in no other 
 way. As they built, they made, used, and left behind 
 them records of their thinking,” and so will we today. 
 
 39 
 
Community Putlbittgg a si ®Har fHemotialg 
 ^Bulletin* 
 
 1. WHAT SORT OF WAR MEMORIAL? By Albert S. Bard. 
 
 Advocating community houses as memorials. Illustrated. (Formerly 
 published as Bulletin No. 4 of the National Committee on Memorial 
 Buildings.) 
 
 2. A LIVING MEMORIAL. 
 
 Suggesting a program of community service, centering about a com¬ 
 munity house, as the truest memorial; and outlining the social, recre¬ 
 ational, art and educational possibilities of the community building. 
 (Published by War Camp Community Service, and as Bulletin No. 2 
 of the National Committee on Memorial Buildings.) 
 
 3. THE PLANNING, MANAGING AND FINANCINGOF MEMORIAL 
 COMMUNITY HOUSES. 
 
 Outlining a survey to determine the best type of building; suggesting 
 forms of organization for local memorial building associations; and 
 proposing methods of financing the erection and maintenance of the 
 memorial. (Published in part in Bulletin No. 3 of the National Com¬ 
 mittee on Memorial Buildings.) 
 
 4. EXISTING COMMUNITY HOUSES. 
 
 Information about successful community houses; their architectural 
 form and special features. Illustrated. 
 
 5. EXISTING PUBLIC AUDITORIUMS. 
 
 Descriptions of the most successful memorial and other municipal 
 auditoriums and assembly halls. Illustrated. 
 
 6. PROVISION FOR ART, MUSIC AND DRAMA IN MEMORIAL 
 BUILDINGS. 
 
 Illustrated. 
 
 7. PROGRESS OF THE MEMORIAL BUILDING MOVEMENT. 
 
 Brief reports from towns and cities that have decided to erect 
 buildings as war memorials. 
 
 8 . MEMORIAL FEATURES IN COMMUNITY BUILDINGS. 
 
 Suggestions as to tablets, inscriptions, trophy rooms, historical archives, 
 etc. Illustrated. 
 
 9. THE ARCHITECTURE OF MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HOUSES. 
 
 A collection of photographs, designs and plans, with descriptive text. 
 
 10. THE ARCHITECTURE OF LARGE MEMORIAL BUILDINGS. 
 
 Illustrated by photographs and plans of auditoriums and other 
 memorial buildings suitable for larger cities, 
 n. THE SCHOOL AND THE MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HOUSE. 
 Combination and co-operation. 
 
 12. FOOD SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY MEMORIAL BUILD¬ 
 INGS. 
 
 Technical suggestions as to arrangement and use. 
 
 Single copies of these bulletins will be gladly supplied upon request, when 
 in stock; price in quantities, $3.00 per hundred.