In March 1855 a fire took out several buildings on the north side of Seneca Street, starting at the corner of Maiden Lane. John S. King proceeded to erect a block of buildings with a public hall on the second floor. Such halls were recognizable by the taller windows and can still be found in towns in this area. The village took advantage of the fire and new construction to widen Maiden Lane by fifteen feet to its current width. In honor of Jenny Lind, the street and new hall were both named Linden.

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Linden Hall served many purposes: lectures, political meetings, plays, and fundraising events. It still proved too small for gatherings like Fourth of July observances. In 1856 the Geneva Gazette wrote, “It is very generally regretted that the Committee of Arrangements did not procure the Presbyterian Church for the public exercises of the Fourth. The only objection to the use of that building, on the part of the Trustees of the Church, could have been removed by timely consultation. The objection, as we understand it, relates to Band Music. Choir music could have been readily engaged, if notice had been given in season.”

A play, “The Rag Picker’s Child,” was the last performance on Dec. 26, 1892. In the middle of the night a fire started in the hall that destroyed all but the outer brick walls. A new building, the Wheat Block, was erected on the site but without a public hall. Hosting musicians and entertainers in Geneva passed on to other buildings, which I will discuss in a later article.

WAY BACK WHEN IN ONTARIO COUNTY: Before The Smith, there was Linden Hall

(Mapped location is the intersection of Linden and Seneca St)