Music Hall Block
The Heebner family's influence on Lansdale extended into many areas, even the cultural arts. In the late 1880's, William Heebner, president of the Heebner Agricultural Works, decided that since the town was growing so rapidly, it needed a new public gathering space and he also felt Lansdale needed a little culture to go with its reputation as a rugged railroad town.
The 600-seat auditorium, built in 1888, became the home of a myriad of traveling shows, lectures, school plays and commencements, boxing matches, and all sorts of entertainment.
Heebner envisioned it as the home of a yet-to-be-formed Lansdale Symphony Orchestra. When that became a reality around 1900, you can guess who emerged as the conductor. Here we see him directing the musicians during a performance of The Courtship of Miles Standish.
During the 136 years since the Music Hall opened, more than three ozen businesses have occupied those storefronts – a bank, a newspaper office, a number of eating places and drug stores, among them.
In later years in 1927 it was converted into a movie theater.
The theater closed without warning in 1967. This photo from 1939.
The building still stands on the corner of N. Broad and Second Street and its exterior looks surprisingly similar to its original appearance.
