The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-15
MASONIC HALL
Has Been Thoroughly RemOdeIed and
Reftted.
Ii Is Now the Best Place in the City
for Concerts, Lectures and
Other Entertainments

for Concerts, Lectures and
Other Entertainments.
Masonic Hall, entirely made over and
thoroughly modeTnized, will be open to the
casion being a recital by Madame Teresa
Carreno, the most accomplished woman that
ever sat at a piano.
The transformation of the hall and the
rooms connected with it has been done
under direction of w. Scott Moore, archi-
tect, and all who have seen it have ac-
knowledged it to be the finest and best
place the city has ever known for enter
tainments of all kinds In which no more
than one thousand persons are to be cared
for.
The changes made in the hall carried with
them the entire remodeling of the second
floor of the Masonic building. and, to some
extent, of the third floor On the second
floor, to be rented in connection with the
main hall, are a checkroom, smoking room,
box office and ladies parloTs, toilet and
dressing rooms. There are 210 boxes in the
checkroom in addition to innumerable
hooks for the care of clothing and para
phernalia.
The ladies' parlors are handsomely car
peted and supplied with the choicest up
holstered furniture. On the third floor is
room with high ceilings, supported by
massive Roman columns the walls fres-
coed in beautiful tints which will be used
as a banquet hall. This room is SO by 40
feet is furnished with banquet tables and
chairs, and will seat 1875 persons. This hall,
lighted by electricity is reached by ample
stairways and an electric elevator.
The Washington-street entrance to the
building. as well as the Capitol-avenue en-
trance and stairway, have been made en-
tirely new. The Washington-Street stair
way is now one of the finest in Indiana,
being of marble, with marble wainscoting
and handsome, solid brass ratings. The
Hobbies and corridors on the second floor
are exquisitely frescoed, to correspond with
the ESTABLISHMENT or the main hail. The
Capitol-avenue entrance opens with a vesti-
bule. Tie stairway is, covered and is broad
and easy of ascent
IA plIlO1ip mint m iG
hall itself, and one looking at its present
artistic arrangement can but wonder why
it was not sooner made the scene of en-
chanting beauty it now is. No place in the
city can be compared with it for adaptable
ity to all demands for audiences of moder-
ate size. As lecture room or for musical
performances it is undoubtedly without a
rival. AT last Indianapolis has hall that
is perfect in acoustical requirements.
The stage is being fitted up with scenery
representing a complete parlor setting, and
viii be shut off from the main audience
hall when required by means of a curtain.
The footlights, which. like all the lighting
of the place, are electric, are admirably ar
ranged.
The main floor of Masonic Hall will seat
600 persons in neat, comfortable folding
chairs without crowding. and leaving broad
aisles. Three hundred persons will find
equally comfortable seats in the gallery
indeed. it is likely that the gallery seats
will be preferred by many. The seats. both
below and above, are so arranged that the
stssS viii ba IN perfect view from each of
inc 'Vu SedtS, anu Ho WoIIiGi with Il ledlHeFy
hat can shut any one out from the full en-
joyment of what is going on upon the stage.
There is not a dark spot any place in the
hall. The gallery, supported by graceful
columns, adds to the beauty of the archi-
tectural arrangement. as well as to the
convenience of the audience There are four
entrances to the gallery, all by means of
easy stairways- The entrance into the hall
is not direct from the lobby, as hitherto
but a vestibule intervenes. and the outer
and inner doors are so arranged as to pre-
clude all draughts and disagreeable noises
from without
Taken in its entirety. with the parlors.
checkroom, banquet room, smoking room.
toilet rooms. etc. connected with IL Ma
sonic Hall deserves 10 be IN demand for
entertainments Of q social character all the
year round.