 Historic
Mechanics Hall
Called "the showpiece
of a city where the arts thrive," by Horizon Magazine, Mechanics
Hall has been judged by architectural historians as the nation's finest
pre-Civil War concert hall. For nearly 150 years, the Hall has been the cultural
cornerstone of Central Massachusetts and is ideally located in downtown
Worcester. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Worcester County Mechanics
Association was formed as a non-profit organization in 1842 for the purpose
of educating the city's industrial workers. The Association began
to provide classes in the mechanical arts as well as cultural and political
events for all members of the community.
In addition, the Association
provided financially for disabled individuals, for members' widows
and for families. It also offered educational scholarships.
By 1857, it was clear the
Mechanics Association required a building of its own, having outgrown its
rented spaces. Under the guidance of the Associations's president,
wire industrialist Ichabod Washburn, the Mechanics hired Elbridge Boyden
to design and construct the building. When it was finished, Mechanics
Hall was beautiful indeed, but it also represented the state-of-the-art
in mechanical systems and construction techniques. Mechanics Hall
is testimony to the skill and ingenuity of the artisans and tradesmen of
Worcester County, which defined them as the founders of America's Industrial
Revolution.
It is home to the
Worcester Music Festival, the oldest music festival in the country
established in 1859. Mechanics Hall
served as a major political podium, particularly regarding the issues of
abolition, women's suffrage and temperance.
 Mechanics
Hall is a symbol of Worcester's renaissance. Its award-winning restoration
in 1977 was the first community-wide effort to reverse the decline in downtown
Worcester. During the mid-20th Century, Mechanics Hall was used less
and less and came to be considered an albatross. The Association
held on to the building, however, and paid the bills by hiring out the
Hall for professional wrestling matches, roller skating, basketball and
other sporting events. Misuse and neglect of the interior took a serious
toll on the health of the Hall. But, when the questions finally came
to tear it down or to revitalize it, the entire city rallied, raising $5
million to restore the Hall.
Mechanics Hall is heralded
as one of the four finest concert halls in North America and among the
top 12 among European and American halls. Internationally regarded
by performance artists for its superb acoustics, the Hall also houses a
complete recording studio.
Today, the Worcester County
Mechanics Association remains a non-profit organization whose mission is
to preserve the Hall and maintain it as a community venue and world-class
performance space. The Hall functions
as a rental facility, from which most of its revenues are derived.
The Hall does not receive any of the ticket proceeds from its clients'
events. In addition, the Association receives membership
donations from the public, and contributions from businesses, from private
foundations and from state and local agencies.
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| Galas
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Organ | Meetings & Seminars | Membership
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| Ticket Sales | Home
321 Main
St., Worcester, MA 01608
(508) 752-5608
info@mechanicshall.org
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