A recent report on National Public Radio has brought our attention to efforts to restore and preserve dance halls in Texas, most of which were built by German or Czech immigrants, although some are the handiwork of African Americans. Featured in the NPR story is the effort to restore Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg, between Houston and San Antonio. Built in 1894 by German-speaking settlers, it closed during World War II and hadn't been danced in for more than 60 years. The NPR story can be read and heard online here, while an informative database of Texas dance halls can be viewed on the Web site of the Texas Dance Hall Preservation Inc.
1 comment:
Glad to see the reference to see the photo of the newly refurbished and reopened Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg, Texas, which happens to be my hometown. Many of these old dance halls are being reopened by people moving to rural areas from urban areas. Hopefully, their financial resources and enthusiasm for operating and maintaining the halls won't run too low over time.
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