In November of 1926, the Fred Herring American Legion Post 89 offered to start a movement to build a new brick and stone bandstand in the Metamora Village Park. It wasn’t until July of 1931 that the Village Board decided the cost of repairs needed on the old wooden bandstand would be better used as a nucleus to construct a new bandstand. Plans moved forward for the new bandstand to be built largely of native rocks and boulders. The balance of the cost would come from pledges of cash, materials and some donated labor. A raffle of a new Plymouth car was given away on Old Settlers’ Day to benefit the new bandstand fund.
The old wooden bandstand built for a cost of $265 about 1871 by Sol Egbert, a local contractor, was razed. In preparation of the pouring of the new footings, the Metamora Herald stated that dozens of boys, some of them mere tots joined in the work of hauling away the earth from the excavation in wheelbarrows. Others assisted W. T. Bolle of the Schrepfer and Martin crew.
The new bandstand was built in the octagonal shape like the old one. Eight pillars support the roof. Citizens of the community were asked to bring stones of an average size of about six inches. A large choice of stones was needed as all hauled in could not be used. The plan was to build the structure durable and ornamental, as well as serviceable.
Herman Weber of Piper City, builder of the Lourdes Grotto and other local structures did all the boulder work in ten days. The new bandstand was ready for use for the first time on Old Settlers’ Day, August 20, 1931.
Workmen replaced the original bandstand’s rotting wooden floor with concrete in July of 1959. The Schrepfer and Martin work crew believed that the wooden floor torn out was the original floor built into the bandstand in 1931. This was the first major work done in 28 years.
History and photo submitted by Shirley A. Adams.
