By Michael Perna Jr.
Contributing Writer
WORCESTER – After the end of World War I in November 1918, the city of Worcester decided to build a fitting memorial to honor the 355 service members (both men and women) from the city that had lost their lives in that conflict. Originally, the plan was to construct the structure, along with a public library building, on the Worcester Common behind City Hall, however those plans fell through.
Construction delay
It took ten years in all to get the project underway. A suitable location was secured at Lincoln Square, consisting of 100,000 square feet of land, and construction began in September 1931. The architects selected to complete the project were Lucius Briggs of Worcester, along with Frederick Hirons of New York.
Two years later, the structure was completed, with the final cost of building it being $2 million. The Worcester Memorial Auditorium was dedicated in a ceremony on September 26th, 1933. The Auditorium, as it came to be known by local residents, was described as “an enduring tribute to those whose sacrifice was sublime, a majestic memorial for the use and benefit of many generations.”
Majestic stonework
The building is majestic: it sits on a base of “Deer Island Granite” and is five stories high. The upper portion of the building is of “dressed Indiana limestone,” with huge Doric columns across the front of the building, which faces Lincoln Square. The main hall was built to hold up to 3,500 people. The adjacent “Little Theatre,” which shares a stage with the main hall, can hold up to 675.
A huge pipe organ, built by the Kimball Organ Company of Chicago, Illinois, is located in chambers on both sides of the state. The organ consists of 6,853 pipes and is reported to never have been altered since it was installed—a very rare example of fine workmanship that still operates after so many years.
A large-scale mural was commissioned in 1938 and completed in 1941 by renowned artist Leon Kroll. This was named “The Shrine of the Immortal.” Kroll used a number of Worcester residents as models for figures in the mural.
Photo/Wikimedia Commons
The Auditorium, or “Aud” as it became known in more recent times, has hosted all types of events during its history. These ranged from high school and college graduations, serving as a polling location for local elections, fundraisers, and a multitude of sporting events. The building was home to the Bay State Bombardiers and Holy Cross Crusaders college basketball teams for many years. Holy Cross player Bob Cousy, a Worcester resident who went on to great fame as a member of the Boston Celtics, played during many games there. Other celebrity performers include musician Gene Autry, and magician David Copperfield.
Rock concerts
Among the many concerts that took place at the Auditorium over the years were performances by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Phish, and Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review. A performance by the Beach Boys in February 1965 is well remembered by local resident Fred Anderson, who remembered attending the concert with his best friend Dennis Pearson.
As the concert got underway, a crowd of screaming teen-aged girls rushed the stage. The security detail pushed them back and then warned them that the concert would be halted if they persisted. The band started playing again and the same thing happened. The concert was stopped and then cancelled completely. “We didn’t even get a refund!” recalled Anderson.
Another episode occurred when The Rolling Stones played the Auditorium. This was at the start of their hugely successful career, just prior to the release of their hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Again, a huge crowd filled the hall. As the concert progressed, an angry father, upset that his daughter was attending (due to the “sexual nature” of the group) proceeded to grab her by the hair and drag her out of the building. It would be interesting to speak to that daughter today.
Decline and closure
As the years passed, more modern facilities, such as the DCU Center and homes for sports teams made the Aud more and more a thing of the past. Various parts of the building were used for a number of purposes over time, including a juvenile court in the basement area, a storage area for Massachusetts state trial court records, and even a brief stint as a shelter for people displaced in the 1953 tornado.
The building has been vacant since 2008, although occasional organ performances were held until 2016.
The future of the building remains uncertain, although it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Efforts to revitalize the Aud have included a study, commissioned by the City of Worcester, by the Architectural Heritage Foundation of Boston, which recommended that the building become a hub for “digital innovation, entertainment, entrepreneurship, and the arts,” however no definitive plans have been implemented as of this date.
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