St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall

St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall and Coliseum was an indoor exposition hall, Music Hall and arena in St. Louis, Missouri from 1883 to 1907.

Three national nominating conventions were held in three separate buildings in or near the complex between 1888 and 1904 (1888 Democratic National Convention, 1896 Republican National Convention, and 1904 Democratic National Convention). It was used as a venue during the 1904 World's Fair. [ [http://www.landmarks-stl.org/architects/bio/jerome_bibb_legg_1838_19/ Jerome Bibb Legg (1838-19??) landmarks-stl.org] ]

The 502 foot x 332 foot exposition hall was built initially at a cost of $750,000. It was designed by Jerome Bibb Legg and completed in 1884. Legg's most prominent existing building is Academic Hall at Southeast Missouri State University. [ [http://www.landmarks-stl.org/architects/bio/jerome_bibb_legg_1838_19/ Jerome Bibb Legg (1838-19??) landmarks-stl.org] ]

Originally built to house the St. Louis Exposition, an annual fair. It covered six acres at Olive and 13th Streets and was one of the first buildings in the country to have electric lights.

The Music Hall, which was a home for the St. Louis Symphony, had a stage which could accommodate 1,500 people and claimed to be one of the world's largest. Its seating capacity was 3,500. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=MvIJAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA511&dq=St.+Louis+Exposition+and+Music+Hall&lr= The American Magazine] ]

In the winter of 1896 the Republican National Convention planned to be in a rebuilt permanent building in the center. However, it was determined that it would not be ready in time for the convention so a temporary wooden convention was erected on the lawn south of City Hall (three blocks south of the Exposition Hall). The temporary structure was erected within sixty days at cost of $60,000 including decorations. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=rHk0AAAAIAAJ&dq=1896+republican+national+convention+exposition&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 Official Proceedings of the Eleventh Republican National Convention – 1896] ]

Following the 1896 Convention, the temporary structure as well as the Exposition building were torn down and a new Coliseum was built on the site of the Exposition Building. The new Coliseum had an arena of 112 by 222 feet with an 84 foot ceiling. It had a single span trussed roof, with no columns or obstructions. The seating capacity was 7,000 but could be expanded to 12,000 (it was rated at 10,500 for its 1904 convention). [Where the Democrats Will Hold the Convention - The Fort Wayne Evening Sentinel, February 6, 1904]

The whole structure including the new Coliseum and Music Hall were torn down in 1907 when the St. Louis Central Library was built at its location and the new St. Louis Coliseum was constructed.

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