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St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall was an indoor exposition hall, Music Hall and
/ref> The exposition hall was built initially at a cost of $750,000. It was designed by Jerome Bibb Legg and completed in 1884. Legg's most prominent extant building is Academic Hall at Southeast Missouri State University. Originally built to house the St. Louis Exposition, an annual fair, it covered at Olive and 13th Streets and was one of the first buildings in the country to have electric lights. The Music Hall, which was a home for the
St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall Association
finding aid at th
St. Louis Public Library
{{Republican National Convention venues Buildings and structures in St. Louis Performing arts centers in Missouri Demolished buildings and structures in St. Louis Former theatres in the United States Buildings and structures demolished in 1907
St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall was an indoor exposition hall, Music Hall and arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
from 1883 to 1907.
Three national presidential nominating conventions were held in three separate buildings in or near the complex between 1888 and 1904 including the 1888 Democratic National Convention, 1896 Republican National Convention
The 1896 Republican National Convention was held in a temporary structure south of the St. Louis City Hall in Saint Louis, Missouri, from June 16 to June 18, 1896.
Former Governor William McKinley of Ohio was nominated for president on the firs ...
, and 1904 Democratic National Convention
The 1904 Democratic National Convention was an American presidential nominating convention that ran from July 6 through 10 in the Coliseum of the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. Breaking with eight years of control b ...
. In addition to the 1904 Democratic convention, it was used as a large venue for other conventions and congresses during the 1904 World's Fair
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 milli ...
.Jerome Bibb Legg (1838-19??) landmarks-stl.org/ref> The exposition hall was built initially at a cost of $750,000. It was designed by Jerome Bibb Legg and completed in 1884. Legg's most prominent extant building is Academic Hall at Southeast Missouri State University. Originally built to house the St. Louis Exposition, an annual fair, it covered at Olive and 13th Streets and was one of the first buildings in the country to have electric lights. The Music Hall, which was a home for the
St. Louis Symphony
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest professional symphony or ...
, had a stage which could accommodate 1,500 people and claimed to be one of the world's largest. Its seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
was 3,500.
In the winter of 1896 the Republican National Convention planned to be in a rebuilt permanent building in the center. However, it was determined that it would not be ready in time for the convention so a temporary wooden convention was erected on the lawn south of City Hall (three blocks south of the Exposition Hall). The temporary structure was erected within sixty days at cost of $60,000 including decorations.
Arena/convention hall in 1904
Following the 1896 Convention, the temporary structure as well as the Exposition building were torn down and a new Coliseum was built on the site of the Exposition Building. The new Coliseum had an arena of 112 by with an ceiling. It had a single span trussed roof, with no columns or obstructions. The .jpg.html){kind=link}
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
was 7,000 but could be expanded to 12,000. It was rated at 10,500 for its 1904 convention.Where the Democrats Will Hold the Convention - The Fort Wayne Evening Sentinel, February 6, 1904
The whole structure including the new Coliseum and Music Hall were torn down in 1907 when the St. Louis Central Library was built at its location and the new St. Louis Coliseum was constructed.
References
External links
St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall Association
finding aid at th
St. Louis Public Library
{{Republican National Convention venues Buildings and structures in St. Louis Performing arts centers in Missouri Demolished buildings and structures in St. Louis Former theatres in the United States Buildings and structures demolished in 1907