After the loss of her three young children and her husband, feeling lonely, rich and restless, Elizabeth Taber returned to Marion for her final years to enrich the community and “put some snap into her village.” In 1891, under architect Williams Gibbons Preston, Elizabeth’s dream was realized in the Marion Music Hall. A historic and beautiful building for meetings, concerts, and special festive occasions in the center of the village where she grew up, the Marion Music Hall stands proudly today as a lasting legacy and Elizabeth Taber’s final gift to the town.
Over the past months, the Music Hall has focused on shoring up the building’s foundation. Shaun Cormier, Marion’s Facilities Director, and a team of skilled craftsmen broke up the old concrete floors and carted the debris to the Benson Brook Dump. They removed all of the dirt from trenches and installed new perforated drainpipe – adding and leveling 60 yards of crushed stone. Soon they will be pouring concrete throughout to create an entirely new dry basement floor. In so doing, the result will lower the water table, preventing further deterioration of the brickwork. They have also totally rebuilt ten basement windows as well as the stairwell to the basement.
Shaun gives enthusiastic credit to his team which included his foreman, Peter Wood, his laborer, Eric Cormier, and three members of the DPW, Adam Carvalho, Toby Gonsalves, and Nathan Fincher. The Music Hall Advisory Committee is appreciative of all this recent foundation work which will clearly extend the life and use of this historic building.
Elizabeth Taber would be proud to know that we continue to build upon this strong foundation. Thanks to the public/private partnership between the town and the Sippican Historical Society, other recent upgrades include acoustical additions to the concert hall and the stage, a new Bose sound system, the hanging of numerous Cecil Clark Davis portraits, a new generator, and the recent addition of a rebuilt Steinway piano, a generous gift from the Charles Paulsen family.
Future projects on the Music Hall to-do list include repairs to the brick walkway, additional stage improvements, new gutters, and the refinishing of all the hardwood floors.
While the Covid-19 currently limits the town’s use of its public facilities, there shall soon come a time when the Music Hall will reopen to the public for all its intended uses: chamber concerts, exercise classes, book sales, lectures, weddings, and more.
If you or your organization is interested in booking the Marion Music Hall, please contact Tami Daniel, Coordinator at 508-748-9556. This exceptional facility is ready and waiting to host your favorite future event – sooner or later!
