: o r mN o . t O - 3 O O R E V . 1 9 ' t 7 7 1

U N I T ' E DS T A T L , SD E P A R T M E N TO F T H L I N T E R I O R N A T I O N APLA R KS E R V I C E

NATIONAT REGISTEROF HISTORICPLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOWTO COMPLETENATIONAL REGISTERFORMS T Y P EA L L E N T R I E S- - C O MP L E T EA P P L I C A B L ES E C T I O N S

ENAME HlsToBrc

Beatrice

Chautauqua Pavilion

(GA03-87)

and Gatehouse

A N D / O RC O M M O N

ErocATroN STREET & NUMBER

_ Cbagtauqua. Park,

,

Sixth, and Grable S t r e e t s

- N O T F O RP U B L I C A T ] O N C O N G R E S S I O N ADLI S T RCI T

C I T Y ,T O W N

Beatrice

CATEGORY

-

First

v t c r N t r Yo F

_DISTRICT

O W N ER S H I P Xp u a L rc

STATU S -occuPtEo

_AGRICULTURE

LaurLorruc(s)

_PRIVATE

_UNOCCUPIED

-coMMERcrAL

Xpanx

-STRUCTURE

_BOTH

_WORK IN PROGRESS

_EDUCATIONAL

_PRIVATE RESIDENCE

P U B L I CA C O U I S I T I O N

-SITE _OBJECT

_IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED

P R E S E N TU S E

A C C E S SB I LE LyEs' REsrRrcrED X-ves,uNREsrBrcrED

_ENTERTAINMENT -RELIGIOUS

-NO

-GOVEBNMENT

_SCIENTIFIC

_INDUSTRIAL

-TRANSPORTATION

-MILITARY

Lotxe R , St or age

EHowNERoFPRoPERTY NAME

City

of Beatrice,

clo Gary Eggert

Director

Parks

and Recreation

S T R E E& T NUMBER

2O5 North Fourth

Street

C I T Y ,T O W N

STATE

Beatrice

_

Nebraska

vtctNtTYoF

ffi rocATroN oF LEcALDESCRTPTIoN COURTHOUSE. R E G I S T RO YFDEEDS,ETC

Gage County Courthouse

S T R E E& T NUMBER

Grant Street C I T Y .T O W N

STATE

Beatrice

Nebraska

IN EXISTINGSURVEYS ffiI NEPRESENTATION riile

Historic

Preservation

in

Nebraska

DATE

-FEDERAL Xsrnre

L97L D E P O S I T O RFYO R S U R V E YR E c o R D S C I T Y .T O W N

Nebraska

state

Hislqgeel-

_MUSEUM

-couNw

_LocAL

s-asi-e!y- -.-. STATE

WDEscRrPTroN CONDITION _EXCELLENT

Xcooo (Pavilion) X rn'* (Gatehouse)

C H E C KO N E

-DETERIORATEO

-UNALTERED

-RUINS

&ureneo

_UNEXPOSED

C H E C KO N E XoRrcrHlLsrrE X uoveo ea6 ea - 19f g (Gatehouse)

D E S C R I BTE H EP R E S E N T A N OD R I G I N A( LI FK N O W NP} H Y S I C AALP P E A R A N C E The Beatrice Chautauqua Pavllion and Gatehouse are located on the grounds of the 32-acre Chautauqua Park ln Beatrice, Nebraska (1970 pop., L2,389). The torrnts buslness dLstrict is one mlle north of the park and the vLclnity to the parkts neat ls prlnar11y conposed of nodest residences. U.S. Ilighway 77 is 11500 feet rrest of the Gatehouse and the Blue River is approxioately 800 feet north of the PavlLion. (see photos L and 2) erected ln J-889, is an impressi.ve rectangular The Pavllion, strucLure measuring 100 x 140 feet, Two louwred cupolas straddle the rldge of the Pavilionr s gable-on-hip roof, an expansive and handsone elemenL that attracts the vlewer's imedlate attention. The structure was originall-y open on all sldes but around L915 the gabl-ed seclion of the roof was extended on the east and frame wa1ls lrere buiLt to serve as the extensionrs support, Excepting the gabled extension, the roof is supported by a skiJ-lful wooden brace system whose constructi-on is ill-uslraled by acconpanying diagrarns (see diagrans 2 and,3 and photos 3, 4, aad 5). Six rows of posts are arranged on an east-west axis wLth the luDer two rol{s functloning as queen posts for the roofts gabl-ed portion. posts, Pavilionrs The system of bearns, and braces is successful in providlng ample support for the aassive roof while causing mininal visual obstruction of the elevated stage at the east end (photo 3). In order for a variety pernanent seatLng lras never instaLled. of activLtLes to take place inside rhe Pavilion, One hundred feet northr,rest of the Pavillon is a square bandstand (see photos l, 6, and 8) buiLt in the 1950rs to replace an earlier of the same use. structure pyranidal The Low-pitched roof is supported by three Tuscan columns in each corner and the floor rests on brick wal-ls that enclose an underground space used for storage. Wooden raLling--several cross section pieces missing--Ls on all sides. Innedlately that r,7est of the bandstand is a one-story concrete bLock building contains restroom facilities. The former Gatehouse of the Chautauqua grounds (see photos 6 and 7) was originally AfEer located approxirnately 600 feet north of its present situation. Beatrice the in 1916, the bul.ldlng was Chautauqua assenblies were discontinued relocated 400 feet dtrecrLy west of the Pavillon and vas converted into a dwelling park for the city having had acquired the grounds as a nunicipal supervisor--the recreation area, When constructed in the J-890's, the former Gatehouse was an L-shaped building 3-bay lateral sectlon with a l-story consisting of a 1!-story, ell on the rear, Added ca. 1920 were a porch across the front and a shed-roofed The entire appendage built flush lrith both the south wall and the e1lrs rear. Wooden exterior rras stuccoed and iron cresting along the roof rLdge was reooved. peak ornaments on the gabled ends and i.n a gabled projection centered on the front have been retained, openings are unchanged. and the di.oensLons of fenestral The buiJ-ding is presently used for storage, and the Beatrice City Parks Departmen! exteri-or to be finished wirh is considering renoval" of the stucco covering--the ueatherboarding.

FormNo. 1O-3OOa { R e v .1 O - 7 4 )

U N ITL,DSTATt,SDEPARI'Mb,NTOF THh,I NTL R IOR NATIONAL PARKSERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORICPI^ACES IN\MNTORY -- NOMINATION FORM

C O N T IN U A T I O N S H E E T D e s c r i p t i o n

I T E MN U M B E R

DATEENTEREO

P A GE

Th e n o m i n a te d p ro p e rty rectangul ar l ot desi gned to i s a three-acre inc or pora te th e P a v i l i o n a n d former Gatehouse and the vi sta betw een the t wo s t ru c tu re s . W i th i n th i s l ot i s the bandstand. A l though a repl acem ent o f a n e a rl i e r o n e , th e bandstand i s neverthel ess in si gni fi cant c onv ey i n g th e ty p e o f a c ti v i ties that occurred r,rhen C hautauqua assemblies ly er e in s e s s i o n . T h e re l o c a ti o n o f th e G atehouse occurred ca. L9L6 and w as a matter of necessity in the conversion of the grounds into a city park. Since t his ac ti o n , a d d i ti o n a l l a n d has conti nuousl y been purchased to expand t he park . F o r th i s re a s o n t he nomi nati on i s l i mi ted to the tw o struct ur es a n d a s tru c tu ra l re p l a cement w hi eh are the onl y remai ni ng segmen t s of a la rg e c o mp l e x th a t s e rv ed E he B eatri ce C hautauqua A ssembl y.

f,IsTcNIFIcANcE . .EC H E C K BELOW A N DJ U S T I F Y A R E A SO F S I G N I F I C A N C

PERIOD _PREHISTOHIC

_A RCHEOLOGY. PBEHI STORI C

-COMMUNITY PIANNING

_ L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T UER

_1400-1499

I _ - A R C HE O L O G YH. IS T O RC

_CONSERVATION

_LAW

_soENcE -SCULPTURE

-RELIGION

_1500-1599

---AGRICULTURE

_ECOniOtvtlCS

_LITERATURE

_ 1 6 0 0 - 16 9 9

& nc Hr r ec r u R E

-MILITARY

-SOCIAVHUMANITARIAN

_MUSTC

_THEATER

_ 1 7 0 0 - 17 9 9

--ART

Xe o u c a rro t Xe ry c rru e e atruc

X-raoo-rasg X rso o -

_COMMERCE

-EXP LORATI O N,/SETTLEt'./tENT

_PHILOSOPHY

_TRANSPORTATION

-INOUSTRY

ENT _POLITICS/GOVERNM

_OTHER (SPECIFY}

_COMMUNICATTONS

-INVENTION

ArES S P E C T FD TC

lggg;

lgg0r s

BU ILD E R /A R C H ITE cT unknow n

OTFS I G N I F I C A N C E STATEMEN The Beatllce Chautauqua, whlch operated annual eumner sessions between for having enlighLened the 1889-L9L6, is socially and culturally significant lives rural and snall tom dwell-ers on the plains of Nebraska and of countless Featuring performances, discussions, lectures, Eeveral neighboring states. and oraLory, as well as offerl.ng l-essons in the fine arts and domestlc sciences, these sessions afforded a segment of heartland America a wlndow to the rrorld-accornpllshLng a threefold misslon of infonning attendants on as rvrny topics as possibJ-e, furnishing beneflcial entertainment, and promotlng conrnunity spirit. paviJ-ion The L889 Assenbly Hall, a large and impressive where uajor Chautauqua events were he1d, ls a structure of engineering and archi.tectural note that survives in good condition. Another building retained is the former gatehouse, a Gothlc cottage that nas moved from its original location ca. 1916 and altered externally. Still-, the architectural fabric of the former gatehouse is intact and its relocation is vindicated by the denise of the Beatrice Chautauqua Asseubly; in a J-oglcal action, the suall building was rnoved to serve as a oanagerr s residence nThen the Chautauqua grounds and adJacent land were transformed into a city park. The Chautauqua Eovenent took j.ts narne fron Lake Chautauqua, Nerr York, where a trainlng session Ln the sumer of L874 attracted 142 Methodist Sunday School teachers fron 25 states and five countries. The founders and pronoters of the (later New York state project were Dr. John H. Vincent, a Methodi.st mlnlster Bishop), and Lewis ltil1er, an industrialist fron Akron, Ohio. The sumer sessions at Like Chautauqua became established as an annual event whose imense success and popul-arity inspired comunities through Anerica to organize 1oca1 Chautauqua asseoblies, the greatest acceptance taking place in the ltiddle West (Ttrg EncycLopedia Anericana, 1957 Ed., Vol. 6, p. 368). The Chautauqua was not meant to rival churches or schools, but to serve as arr adjunct fo both. The first serious proposal to locate a Chautauqua assenbly i.n Beatrice, Nebraska, was nade in the summer of 1888 by a syndicate of five citizens rvho ol,med a tract of fine land adjacent to the Blue River, innediately Jointly south of town. This syndicate proposed that if the Beatrlce Board of Trade would donate $J-,500 toward advertising the enterprise, it woul-d form a corPoration r,Ii.th a subscribed capital stock of $50,000. The Board of Trade accepted the proposal and a corporation was forned. The enterprise rgas naned the Interscate ChauLauqua Assenbly with the intention that it .,r,iouLdserve people fron the surroundlng states of lowa, Ilissouri, Kansas, and Colorado. Improvenent of the grounds south of the river took place the following Spring and the street railway conpany in Beatrice e*lended its tracks !o the Chautauqua grounds r entrance (fne g"attic" D a i l y S ! ! n , A u g. L 4 , L g 3 2 r p . 8 ) .

F o r mN o 1 O - 3 O O a ( R e v .t O ' 7 4 )

tr NITL,DSTATt,SDL,PARI'i\lL,NT Oh'THt INTHRIOR N A T I O N APLA R KS E R V I C E

NATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORICPL{,CES IN\IENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM

C O N T IN U A T I O N S H E E T S i g n i f i c a n c e

I T E MN U M B E R

PAGE 2

The corporation had an impressive assembly halL with a seating caPacity of 21000 and several appurtenances erected in time for the first Chautauqua session which lasted from June 8-11, 1889. The first evening drew 1r500 persons and The Beatrice Daily Express announced: t'The entire Chautauqua interest of the state is centered on the Beatrice assembly. It is surely destined to be the most popular assembly in the stater' (June 8, 1889, P. 1). Although not particularly numerous, the first assemblyrs participants covered a wide variety of fields and interests, ranging from an elocutionist, Mrs. E. D. Martin, who recited ttThe Creed of the Bel-lstt to a Prof essor Finklestein who lectured on ttThe Bedouins of Arabia . tt- The largest crowd the first year, though, was 21500 persons who gathered in the assembly hall to hear an oratory delivered by Dr. Creighton, President of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincbln (neatrice Oaify fxp , June 29, 1889, p. 1). During the next years the Beatrice Chautauqua Assembly attracted larger crowds and more renowned participants. The crowds involved entire farnilies who either brought their own temporary shelter, or who rented tents on the grounds or occupied pieturesque cottages that e/ere erected several years after the programt s commencement. During the 1893 assembly The BeatTice Dai.Ly Express informed its readers: rrThe grounds are at their prettiest and today they are a scene of lively Cottagers are animation. moving in and a constant stream of vehicles is passing between the city and Riverside Park conveying baggage, household effects and passengers. (June 13, The tents are about all pitched and are being taken rapidly" 1893, p.1). Popularity steadlly increasing from year to year, a loeal paper described the 1905 event as such: t'The Chautauqua grounds last night seemed a veritable city of itself. It hras estimated that the attendance on the grounds was about 81000, a moving, shifting population, over hal-f the size of Beatrice on ordinary, work-a-day occasions. The tabernacle Gs the assembly hall had come to be knor,4/ \ras packed in the afternoon and evening from center to circumference and all about the outside for several feet" (neatriqe Daily Exp One daily attendance , July 10, 1905, p.1). during the 1905 sessj-on reached L0,000, and the Beatrice Assembly had become one of high enough repute to attract such speakers as: Thomas Detrlitt Talmadge, a noted clergyman; ex-President Hayes; Bishop Vincent, the Chautauqua founder; I-iilliam Jennings Bryan; Frances I'li1lard, the famous temperance advocatel Robert LaFollettei and others (nobbs, History of Gage County, p. 2L0).

F o r mN o 1 O - 3 0 0 a ( H e v .l O - 7 4 )

T FTHEINTERIOR LJNITED S I ' A - [ E SD E P A R T T I E N O N A T I O N APLA R KS E R V I C E

OR N P SU S EON LY E C E IV E D

NATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORICPLq,CES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM

C O N T IN U A T I O NS H E E T S i g n i f i c a n c e

I T E MN U MB E R

'

.

,

D A TEE N TE R E D

PAGE 3

In L906 the trains offered special- excursion rates to Bealrice for the suuner event and about 7,000 attendants lrere able to reach the Chautauqua that year fron various points ln Nebraska, Vissouri, and Kansas (-EggC4Sg Daily Express, June 23, 1906). By that year lhe grounds were electrlcally illumLnated in the evenings and iron gates iiere installed near the grounds t entrance to prevent reckless driving. Lessons in elocution, languages, art, home sciences, and other sublects were conducted during the Chautauqua session throughout the park-1ike setting. Permanent buildings in addltion to the assembly ha11 and a gatehouse included: nineteen frane cottages; the Frances l,Iillard Hall-, mainly used for teloperance activlties; a J-arge refreshment ha1l and several meat and produce stands; a secretaryts office; an octagonal band stand; and a 'rrustlc stand.rt The railroads found the offering of eceursion rates durlng Chautauqua to not be a qrorthwhile venture and ceased this speci-al- servlce after the year of l-906. A1so, the street railway company halted regular service trial between Beatri.cers business dlstrict and the Chautauqua grounds in 1907, causing attendance that year to drop drastlcally, From then on, nost attendants carne fron Beatrice or the vicinity. In 1916, operatlon of the Beatrice Chautauqua Assembly r,ras suspended in debt and an action was brought by the county court to foreclose a mortgage on lhe property. Through an arrangenent with the Chautauqua board, however, the city intervened., paid all debts, took cl-ain to the property, and converted it into a municlpal recreational facility cal-led Chautauqua Park. By that ti.me almost all components of the Chautauqua Asserobly cornplex had been disnantled. Structures retained (or "tabernacle") pavilion in addition to the inpressive were the forner gatehouse, which was Eo}ed Eo serve as a residence for the park manager, and the octagonal bandstand irnmediately northr,rest of the pavillon--a sroall urooden structure that was replaeed later by a square version. Durlng lts 27 -year perLod of operatlon, the Beatrice Chautauqua was imrnensely successful- in stirring the ninds and thoughts of its attendants. Its offerings were often a stimulus for young people to contlnue their education; older people, sorne long out of school and denied many J-iterary advantages, were afforded with rare lectures and delightful concerts (Schuerman, rrThe Beatrice Chautauqua, t' p. 3). The most disLinctive contribution of Chautauqua to Americal education was the idea of utilizing the sunner Vacation for educational purposes,

F o r mN o . 1 0 - 3 O 0 a (Rev.1O-74)

U N I T L , DS T A T E SD L , P A R I ' I I tN T O F T H h I N T t : RI O R N A T I O N APLA R KS E R V I C E

NATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORICPI-ACES IN\IENTORY -. NOMINATION FORM

N U A T I O NS H E E T S i g n i f i c a n c e CONTT

I T E MN U M B E R

FORNPSUSEONIY : '''....,:. RECEIVED '

::

:

D A TEE N TE R E E

P A GE 4

The capacious Pavilion that survives and is both an engineering a r c hit ec t ur al a c h i e v e m e n t o f E e rit. W hen bui l t, w as thi s constructi on o P en on all sides, a L l o w i n g fo r a maxi mum venti l ati on of ai r. The roof c ov er ing t he s p a c e i s u p h e l d b y a post and brace system that provi des a m ple s upport w h i l e c a u s i n g mi n i mal vi sual obstructi on. si nce A l terati ons ca. 1915 have been linited material. to the replacement of the roofing T he s m a l l Go th i c c o tta g e th a t served as the gatehouse i s a fi ne product of the picturesque movement. Despite alterations that occurred c a. 1920, it s fa b ri c re ma i n s mu ch evi dent and i ts rel ocati on and transf or m at ion f ro m a g a te h o u s e i n to a park supervi sorts drvel l i ng serves as a n int er es t ing e a rl y e x a mp l e o f a dapti ve re-use.

F-

S $IMAI OR BIBLIoGRAPHICAL REFERENCE See continuation

sheet

DATA EOCEOGRAPHICAL

RopERTy 3 acres A c R E A GoEF N o M T N A T EpD eUADRANGLENAME

Beatriee_

East-

euAoRANGLEscALE l,:24000

Nehr-

UTM REFERENCES

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L I S TA L L S T A T E SA N D C O U N T I E SF O R P R O P E R T I E O S V E R L A P P I N GS T A T EO R C O U N T YB O U N D A R I E S STATE

CODE

COUNTY

CODE

STATE

CODE

C O UN T Y

CODE

BY ffiToRM PREPARED NAME / TITLE

Daniel Kidd.

Architectural

Historian DATE

ORGANIZATION

Nebraska State HistorLcal

Fet'ruary,

Society

1 5 0 0 r r R r rS t r e e t

.

loTq

TELEPHONE

S T B E E& T NUMBER

.

C I T YO R T O W N

ao2l471-327n STATE

,

oFFrcERcERTrFrcATroN ffilsrATEHrsroRrcrRESERVATIoN T H E E V A L U A T E DS I G N I F I C A N C EO F T H l S P R O P E R T YW I T H I N T H E S T A T E I S : N A T I O N A L-

STATE X_

LOCAL

Acr of 1966 (PublicLaw 89-665), I As the designatedStateHistoricPreservation Officerfor the NationalHisro.icPreservation herebynominatethis propenyfor inclusionin the NationalRegisterand certifylhat it has been evaluatedaccordinglo the criteriaand procedu.esset fonh by the NationalParkService.

srATE HlsroRrcp'Es r uo'rro*orr,ru.oon*u^, \\ TITI F

"'--

Director,

,\nt

Nebraska State Historical

.

fr Society

?t /

K.ffi -DATE -"-

GPO 92r-803

F o r mN o . 1 O - 3 O O a l R e v .1 O - 7 4 )

OR N P SU S EON LY ..

OF THE I NTF.RIOR U N ITL,DSTATL,SDL,PARl'IIlb,NT N A T I O N APLA R KS E R V I C E

. i

E C E IV E D

. ,

.

NATIONAT REGISTEROF HISTORICPI..ACES DATEENTERED IN\IENTORY -- T{OMINATION FORM

The Beatrice

Daily Express. . . .

P A GE 2

I T E MN U M B E R

C O N T IN U A T I o N S H E E T B i b l i o g r a p h y

Beatrice, Nebraska, June 8, 1899. July 29, 1889. June 13, 1893. June 19, 1895.

t' Beatrl ce Daily Sun. "Chautauqua trrlasFounded in 1888 . Nebraska, August L4, L932.

Beatrice,

Beatrice, Nebraska Sanborn Maps, 1896, 1900, 1906' L913. Sanborn Map and Pub. Co. Dobbs, Hugh J. Ilistory West,ern Publishing Heritage

of

the

Blue.

Hor ner , Cha rl e s F . P hilade l -p h i a :

of Gage County, Nebraska. and Engraving Co. , 1918. Beatrice:

Stri k e O

th e

Beatrice

New York:

Lincoln,

Centennial,

Nebraska:

Inc. , L957.

Tent

.

ttT h e B e a tri c e papert C hautaugua.tt U npubl i shed S c huer m an, L a u re l l -. L975. N o v . , o f N e b r a s k a , E d u c a t i o n , T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f College ttchautauqua Revived, tt Betty. Stevens, -Focus , Sunday Journal Linc oln, N e b ra s k a , M a y 2 5 , L975.

, and Sta{ ,

F o r mN o . l O ' 3 O 0 a ( R e v .l O - 7 4 )

U N I T L , DS T A T L , SD E P A R I ' | I I L N TO F T H E I N T L . R I O R N A T I O N APLA R KS E R V I C E

OR NPSUSE ONLY RECEIVED .

NATIONAT REGISTEROF HISTORICPI-ACES IN\IENTORY -- I{OMINATION FORM

, t . .

DATEENTERED

Verbal Boundary Description I T E MN U M B E R 1 0 C O N T I N U A T I OSNH E E T

P A GE 2

A rectangular lot, i the southeast corner being defined by the southeast corner of, the Beatrice Chautauqua Pavi.l j.on. The boundary proceeds northward for 60 meters, then angles to the west and proceeds in that direetion for for 220 meters, then angles to the south and proceeds in that direction 60 meters to the southwest corner of the former Gatehouse, then angles to returning to the the east and proceeds for 220 meters in that direction, point of origin.

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