Union Hall, Fredonia, New York

In 1871 the American Block was built, with its Union Hall at 9 East Main Street, billed as “the best public hall aside from the Opera House at Dunkirk.” It was a lavishly frescoed room with seating for 1,000, although the main entrance had to be altered in 1872 to eliminate drafts. The competition that Union Hall offered was too much, and at that point, the Concert Hall in the Center Block, in effect, went out of business and was sold to be remodeled as a Masonic lodge.

Fredonia’s 1891 Opera House: