History of The Hartland Music Hall, 1858 to Today
Updated
The Hartland Music Hall at 3619 Avon Street in Hartland, Michigan opened as the Hartland Congregational Church in 1858, built for $2,700. In the late 1920s the building was bought and transformed into a performing arts hall with a stage, organ loft and Green Room added at the rear, and a basement excavated below.
From Church to Concert Hall
J. Robert Crouse, Sr. was born in Hartland in 1874, left to build a business career, and returned to his birthplace after retiring in 1926. He bought the old church building and oversaw its transformation into a music venue.
The 1932 renovation installed 600-amp electrical service and seven miles of low-voltage conduit so live events could be broadcast on radio as far as Detroit. A cup from the church's original pewter communion set was placed in the cornerstone during the renovation, linking the building's two identities.
Opening Week, April 1932
The Hall was dedicated with nine days of public performances from April 17–25, 1932, featuring artists including the Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler.
A Kilgen pipe organ was installed for the dedication, one of only two ever made, with more than 1,000 pipes, some no larger than a finger, at a cost of $12,000. Three ranks of colored stage lights added in the 1930s remain in use today.
Traditions and Recognition
An annual presentation of Handel's Messiah has been a December tradition at the Hall since the 1930s.
In May 1987 the Hall was added to the list of Historic Sites by the Michigan Historical Commission. Starting in 1986, decades of renovation and maintenance refurbished the theater seats, refinished the woodwork, replaced the wiring and upgraded heat and air conditioning.
Visit the Hall
The Hall seats 224 people: 199 on the main floor across rows A–J and 25 in the balcony rows K–L. You can see the rare, still-working Kilgen pipe organ, one of the Hall's signature features.
Common questions
Where is the Hartland Music Hall?
At 3619 Avon Street in Hartland, Michigan.
How many people does the Hall seat?
The Hall has 224 seats: 199 on the main floor and 25 in the balcony.
What is special about the organ?
The Kilgen pipe organ installed in 1932 is one of only two of its kind ever made, with more than 1,000 pipes.
The Hartland Music Hall · 3619 Avon Street, Hartland, Michigan
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