Moseley's on the Charles, located on the banks of the

Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a New England town, town in, and the county seat of, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on Boston's southwestern border, the population was 25,364 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. First settled by E ...

, was the oldest continuous-running ballroom in the country. Founded in 1905 by Elisha Moseley, it originally functioned as a summer canoe house in addition to the ballroom. Duke Ellington's Washingtonians,

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

, Les Brown,

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

, Lenny Clark,

Pat Cooper Pat Cooper (born Pasquale Vito Caputo; July 31, 1929 – June 6, 2023) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his presence in the comedy scene starting in the 1950s and remaining relevant and working thereafter. Later in his career ...

, and Steve Sweeney have all performed in the hall. Each December it hosts the annual meeting of

The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves is one of the "oldest continually existing horse thief apprehending organization in the United States, and one of Dedham's most venerable social organizations." Since its founding, there have ...

. It was also the site of the 75th birthday party of

Shad Araby Joseph "Shad" Araby (May 13, 1924 – August 17, 2006) was an American veteran, custodian, and supporter of Dedham youth, particularly Dedham High School athletics. Personal life Araby was born in Dedham, Massachusetts. As a student at Dedham High ...

. In 1998 it was purchased by Edward DeVincenzo, who began working in the coatroom years before. It closed in 2022.

References

Companies based in Dedham, Massachusetts 1905 establishments in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Dedham, Massachusetts {{Massachusetts-stub