Elmwood Music Hall
"Convention Hall", "The Music Hall," "The Elmwood
Music Hall" were the several names for this former armory,
located at the northeast corner of Elmwood Avenue and Virginia Street.
Elmwood Music Hall
"Convention Hall", "The Music Hall," "The Elmwood
Music Hall" were the several names for this former armory,
located at the northeast corner of Elmwood Avenue and Virginia Street.
Elmwood Avenue Music Hall, c. 1915.
Constructed in 1885 as the home of the 74th
Infantry, the armory became vacant in 1899 when the 74th moved into
its new home, the Connecticut Street Armory. The city of Buffalo acquired the
building and eventually officially named it
the Elmwood Music Hall.
According to George Kunz, "Within, it was plain and bare. There were no
claims for acoustical perfection. In fact, violinist
Yehudi Mehuhin once vowed to give no recital unless the Elmwood Avenue trolleys
were stopped during his program.
(It was a hollow threat: Menuhin played while the trolleys continued to creak
and screech.)" Because the building was
sometimes used for political or athletic purposes, concert seating consisted
of folding chairs.
The building was declared unsafe and condemned
in February, 1938. Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans had
already left a bequest in 1934 expressly for the construction of a new music
hall. Music performances were held at the
Buffalo Consistory (Cansisius High School) for the next two years while the
Kleinhans Music Hall was being constructed
on Pennsylvania Street.
The old Music Hall, in poor physical condition and thought of as unimpressive architecturally, was demolished.
Note: details and quote from "Buffalo
Memories: Gone But Not Forgotten" by George Kunz, published by Canisius
College
Press, 2002.