Every month, get an in-depth look at Chautauqua’s history from Chautauqua archivist Kate Gerard.
Today’s Centennial Garden was first laid out in 1907, possibly designed by landscape architect W.W. Parce, who was planning Chautauqua’s grounds at the time. It featured looping paths separating beds of shrubs and flowers, and then-tiny spruce trees that now tower...
When the Auditorium was built in 1898 it was not as comfortable as it is today. The floor was dirt covered with sawdust. ”The children may play in the sand at their parents’ feet,” said the Chautauqua Bulletin. The auditorium was originally open on three sides to...
The oldest surviving structure at Chautauqua, built in 1882, Cottage # 200, is the Ranch House, aka the Superintendent’s House, the Stone Cottage, and the Keeper’s Dwelling, located by the windmill on the path that runs north-south between Community House and the...
The Auditorium and Dining Hall are the oldest buildings on the Chautauqua grounds. The Auditorium, built by contractor I.T. McAllister, was finished in 54 days, at a cost of $7000. It had open sides, a dirt-and-sawdust floor, and benches to seat 6000 people. With the...