The Worship & Spirituality Committee of the Silver Lake Institute is sponsoring a Period Dress Up Event on Sunday, August 5, 2018, in Burt Park, possibly under a large tent as was used prior to the construction of the Auditorium and in the exact location opposite Ames Avenue Walkway. Residents, Guests, Families, and Friends are invited to dress as Assembly-Goers would have during the Auditorium years of 1888-1918. We hope to get plenty of photos and a video recording of the event which includes an informal Worship Service from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. There will be food and refreshment items available afterwards, or you may want to brown bag an "old fashioned" picnic. An anonymous donor has offered to cover the tent, if found and with setup and take-down included. This would help to insure less need for a rain date. This SLI Community Blog will be running photos of actual Assembly-Goers in the styles of those earlier years to assist you in developing some ideas. More details will become available in the upcoming weeks and months.
Above, Ladies were arriving early at the Assembly Auditorium to get good seats for what appears to be the setup for a stage play. They were early enough that one of the workers is still making adjustments to the one sign hung at Stage Right (left-front from the audience perspective). Built in 1888, there were only two of its kind--one at the Silver Lake Assembly and the other downstate New York. A completely wooden structure, it utilized the very latest in construction ideas which eliminated pole support throughout the structure and kept the support of the building resting at the sides, providing an unobstructed view for the audience.
The Assembly Auditorium was meant to be an outdoor, camp-type building which could provide shelter from a mildly wind-driven rain, The unique structure at the peak of the roof provided both for excellent ventilation and another source of light. It comfortably seated 2,000 in the main pews with room for a 500 voice choir in the front, multi-level stage area. Attendance could and did reach as high as 3,000, assuming additional chairs were setup. It is unknown whether the accompaniment instrument was a piano or pump reed organ, but an instrument can be seen in photos. It is also unclear whether or not sawdust was used to prevent mud from developing on the isles and pew rows which was common at that time for these types of settings. The land around the Auditorium, also known as the Amphitheater, was called Auditorium Park until later renamed Bishop Burt Park. The building was situated along Genesee Avenue with the center of it positioned opposite of Ames Avenue Walkway. More information can be found under the Institute History tab above.
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