“The bandstand, in the Public Square, is a thing of beauty and usefulness.”

– The Bradford Era, August 5, 1892

There has been a bandstand in the center of Bradford for over 130 years. It is unimaginable to picture the city without one. There have been four bandstands in Bradford, and the newest one, recently completed, was dedicated at 11 a.m. Friday — Veterans Day — in Veterans Square.

Bandstands began to appear in the United States shortly after the Civil War, in parks, town squares and fairgrounds as brass and percussion bands or “cornet bands” became popular. Bradford didn’t have a bandstand back then, but by 1885 had erected a sort of four-sided pavilion in the square that more or less kept rain off the musicians.

The first bandstand was built in the summer of 1892, following the suggestion of Perry Black, a ‘cornetist’ and musical director of the Lewis Emery band. He was quite frankly tired of chancing inclement weather during open air concerts and also wanted an impressive bandstand that would reflect on the town’s growing position as a world leader in oil production. He went before City Council in April of that year, and asked permission to raise $300 to erect a real bandstand in the Public Square. They agreed.

The official dedication of that bandstand was held on August 2, 1892. Chairs were set out and women served ice cream, cake, and lemonade. The Emery band, consisting of a piccolo, cornets, altos, trombones, euphoniums, and drum musicians wore new uniforms and played a variety of rousing tunes.

It was estimated that 3,000 people attended. The Era wrote “the pavilion is a beautiful structure artistically designed and is an ornament to the Square. It is built in the pagoda style and is lighted with electricity.” Chinese lanterns were placed around the Square in keeping with the oriental theme.

In truth, the structure did not look much like a pagoda, but China had been opened to the West just fifteen years earlier and 19th century Bradfordians considered their town to be incredibly cosmopolitan and reflective of world events.

For the next 30 years, the bandstand was a popular site for band concerts, speeches, political orators, and community events.

The summer of 1908 saw weekly concerts by the Citizens Band performed under electric lights, starting at 8:15 p.m. In August of 1910, the Johnsonburg Italian band, in town for the Italian festival, gave a concert in the bandstand. On Christmas Eve in 1915, Santa Claus passed out 92 presents to poor children.

In 1918, during World War I, local Boy Scout troops played war games in the Square with Troop No. 2 defending the bandstand against an invasion by Troop No. 4. Troop 4 won, successfully reaching the bandstand without capture by the other troop.

Over the years, the bandstand was repainted several times and repaired occasionally, but by 1923, city officials planned to replace the ‘pagoda’ bandstand and erect a new, larger bandstand that would have public restrooms or comfort stations underneath.

This was not a frivolous idea nor was it a new one. The Board of Health had recommended public water closets or restrooms as early as 1908 for shoppers or visitors to the city. (Nowadays, when a person needs to use the ‘facilities,’ it’s a simple stop at a gas station, fast food restaurant, or store, but early in the 1900s, no such element existed.)

The idea met with approval. An editorial in the Bradford Era said “erection of a comfort station and pavilion in the Public Square, now underway, is indicative of an aroused civic conscience which is lifting Bradford out of the rut and urging the city forward on the road of progress.”

It was announced that the design called for “a massive and ornate structure with rest rooms for men and women in the basement and an ample band platform above.” It would cost $5,000 and be funded through public subscription.

By July 1923 the old bandstand was gone and construction of the new one under the direction of Tuna Manufacturing was underway. The old bandstand was given to Peter Monago of Lewis Run, who placed it behind his house.

The new bandstand had large Doric columns that held up the roof, a black metal railing, steps leading up to the platform from the eastern side, and two restrooms with windows for ventilation, beneath.

Raising the money turned out to be a little more difficult than anticipated and dragged on for almost a year. The bandstand was still unfinished when its dedication was held a year later on June 17, 1924.

Almost everyone seemed thrilled with the new bandstand and comfort stations but an editorial, dated August 23, 1923 (almost a year earlier) had cautioned “it must be remembered, however, that such an institution, beneficial as its purpose is, may degenerate into a nuisance unless proper safeguards are provided by the city. Provisions to prevent the station from becoming a rendezvous for loafers and careful sanitation supervision will be necessary to insure the best results.”

That editorial was proven right. It did prove a nuisance almost immediately, due in no small part to Prohibition. The underground restrooms were ideal for hidden liquor consumption, bootlegging activity and illicit rendezvous.

By March 1932, some people were asking for the bandstand to be demolished. They complained “The old bandstand at Public Square is unsightly and next to useless in its present location. It is obsolete and unsanitary and a booze dispensary. A certain element of undesirables makes this place a hangout.”

They argued that bandstands had become passé and only “hick” towns still had one. Another argument was the bandstand had only been used twice in the past several years, due in part, to poor acoustics and that ‘there is scarcely an individual that can speak from the bandstand and make the crowd hear him, for three-fourths of the crowd are either at the side or behind him.”

The majority of Bradford’s citizens, however, was devoted to the idea of a town bandstand and blamed the ‘tear down the bandstand” movement on a few certain people who were connected to the IOOF building which had been recently erected on the Square. These people were accused of wanting to “destroy” the Public Square so that the new building would look more impressive when viewed from Main Street. Some even suggested moving the bandstand to the end of Pine Street, cutting down all the trees and doing away with the flower gardens.

In true democratic fashion, it was put on a special ballot in the spring primary in April 1932 and Bradford voted. The results were definite — 1,500 people voted to keep the bandstand in the Square, 1,427 voted to keep the restrooms underneath, and 1,628 voted to keep the trees. The bandstand (and the trees and the restrooms) were saved!

That is, at least until 1955, when the city decided to drastically remodel the 1923 bandstand by removing its roof, the supporting pillars, install stone facing all around, and create a modern structure. By this time, the public restrooms were no longer functioning anyway, although parents still strictly warned their children not to go near them.

In February 1976, $3,000 was pledged to make repairs on the bandstand, but its days were numbered. Sometime in the 1990s a simple, pre-fabricated cedar wood gazebo was erected. A new coat of white paint in later years brightened it up.

But in 2022, that old bandstand was deteriorating, was not handicap compliant and was too small. This past April it was demolished and plans made for a new, larger gazebo style bandstand.

The new bandstand, part of a revitalization project for the entire Veterans Square, was completed in September of this year. Its Victorian design is reflective of the Historic District’s ‘Period of Significance,’ 1890 to 1920 and like its predecessors stands as a symbol of the heart of Bradford and a reminder of our past.

And who can forget the symbol of the Round the Square column? For years, it has sported an image of the bandstand – and this year, in honor of the new bandstand, the heading at the top of the column was changed to the new one on September 23, 2022.