The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-17
WRIGHT GIVES
PAPER ON HALL
Tribute Paid To ITALIAN
Hall In Article AT XII
wants Meeting

When the .Kiwanis club was dis
cussing restoration. of ITALIAN hall
at its meeting yesterday, Thomas
H. Wright was given the floor to
read a tribute to the historical
value of the hall. Mr.. Wright ex-
planned the brief article had been
prepared for him by a friend who
insisted on anonymity.
The article reads:
Naturally. it is hard to place
a value on municipal buildings
and associations of historical in
terest. A city that possesses old
buildings that were used and rev.
cred in former years by persons
of note or for cultural purposes
has in them assets which cannot
be valued in money.
"They appeal to something in
our nature that stirs within us
some of our finest sentiments. For
this reason the old ITALIAN Hall
should not be destroyed. 1t would
be unjust to our historic past to
do so. Although time has worn the
old structure and made it unsafe
for present use as a hall for
dramatics or popular meetings,
still its attractive features can be
preserved and ii can be made
safe for future gatherings.
Witness our City Hall which
continues to be the pride Of Will
mington and an attraction which
holds the eye Of visitors passing
through the city. The time was
when We almost lost it, as many
of us well remember; but better
judgment prevailed. and we still
look with much satisfaction upon
our stately city government build
ing.
mot only has its outer beauty
been preserved, but it's offices
within have been made perfectly
safe and comfortable. Of course,
there is need for additional office
space, but this should be provided
ir' some kind of construction that
would not affect that honored old
ITALIAN Hall. AS to preserving the
latter, steel and concrete can
work wonders in making 1t safe
and desirable. as they did ir re-
storing tho Civ Hall
When the city authorities &C.
copied the gift of the land on
which the old lines Academy
stood, and the funds donated by
the ITALIAN society, back in the
eighteen fifties, there went with
them a moral responsibility tor
maintaining the structure for the
purposes the donors had in mind.
In sentimental things, at least,
this responsibility lasts Indefinite
ly, and WI have yet the old opera
house.
THE ITALIAN society has a life
going back to revolutionary days
and before. (In this connection.
we recall Thomas Godfrey, the
first American dramatist, and his
"a Prince Of Parthis".) Through
the many decades. the amateur
dramatic talent in Wilmington has
often been displayed-first in the
lines Academy building and then
in ITALIAN Hall.
Through the years, also, great
actors and actresses and famous
speakers appeared on the stage Of
the opera house to the entertain
ment and appreciation of Will
mington audiences.
"The great Massachusetts, ora j..
tor Edward Everett spoke to a
large audience in the hall in 1853
Oh the Character Of Washing
ton; a n d other national orators
followed from time to time, in :
Guiding William G. McAdoo, Sec
rotary of the treasury under Pres
dent Wilson. Honorable George
Davis, the eminent orator of Will
mington, spoke in the hall several
times before and after the War
Between the States. The great DR..
I. Dewitt Talmage and other not
ed religious leaders have graced
its stage; and on numerous occa-
sions religious and civic gather =
ings have discussed important
public matters.
Among the famous actors who
appeared in ITALIAN Hall we're
Joseph Jefferson, Richard Mans
field, Frederick Ward a n d ether
we'll remember dramatists; nd
there we're many vocalists in
operas Of high national standing.
AL these details add up in the
desire Of many Wilmington people
to preserve the historic old opera
house, which has been praised BY
many famous performers for its
beauty and excellent acoustic pro
perties. BY all means. let Us moi
make the mistake, as has beer
done in the past, of destroying
what might be preserved as a dis
tinctive and useful relic Of our in
teresting municipal life. Rather
le. us restore it for our own ant
future generations"
Half of the children born II
the United States come from