December 2017 THE BEACON Page 5
Memories and History Fill Carnegie Hall for All to Share
The original chalkboard and large windows make the tearoom at Carnegie Hall an ideal space for bridal and baby showers , birthday and anniversary celebrations .
The auditorium at Carnegie Hall has been the venue of choice for Cincinnati ' s Playhouse in the Park , class reunions , live music and more .
Original to the building , hand painted borders and the Latin adjective for ' ever upward ' are still clearly visible on the walls of the former third floor classrooms .
Continued from page 4 as a university , high school , and grade school becomes apparent on every floor . In one restored classroom , rows of vintage students ’ desks face a larger desk where a teacher once graded papers and surveyed her class . In the basement , the modern and expansive kitchen still includes the Dutch doors from which innumerable lunches were served to hungry students . Photographs of favorite teachers and beloved classmates hang on the walls and in the stairwells . The main museum invites present-day scholars and history buffs to peruse the display cases and enjoy the abundance of mementoes from former students . A variety of military and history books can be found on the shelves of the Military Museum located just down the hall . Within this quiet room , the uniforms and documents of those alumnae who served , or who are serving , with the armed forces are proudly displayed .
The multigenerational connection of Carnegie Hall alumnae to their neighbors
The Burlap Bag of Bobcats Rob Bruns , Chris Meyers , Paul Elliott , Rob Ashcraft , and Gary Norman .
can come as a surprise to people unfamiliar with small town interconnectedness . Mrs . Ickenroth recalled a recent visitor ’ s reaction . She said , “ They called me from the Town Hall and told me that they had someone who was over in the cemetery visiting his grandmother ’ s grave that ’ d like to get into Carnegie … Well , they had come from Nashville because they had driven down there for the eclipse and they were driving back home to New York . They said , ‘ We just want to see the building . My grandmother went to school there and graduated from there , along with two of her brothers , and we just wanted to see it .’
“ When he said it was Jenny Chastain , I said , ‘ Oh yeah , she had two brothers , and I started talking to him – we know just about everybody - and he looked at me and asked , ‘ How do you know all of this ?” And I said well , for one thing , it ’ s a very small school , and another thing , Eldon Miller always gave a scholarship in memory of James Chastain , because he was killed during the war … on a ship in a typhoon . He was just a poor boy , and Eldon Miller remembered him , so he gave a $ 50 scholarship in the beginning and gave it every year .”
Mr . Ickenroth interjected , “ Yeah , he couldn ’ t get over how you knew all that !”
Although the Carnegie Historic Landmarks Preservation Society celebrates the rich history of the school and the surrounding community , members work to preserve the blonde brick building for the generations of today and the future . Volunteers with
the Society gladly provide tours of the building by appointment . In an effort to be more accessible to the public , beginning in 2018 , the building will be open every Sunday between 1:00 and 5:00 PM from April through December . Over the years , changes and upgrades to the school such as the addition of an elevator and the installation of a complete fire suppression system , as well as a renovated kitchen and the replacement of the oversized windows have enabled the building to better meet the current needs of the area . An attractive tearoom that was once a seventh grade classroom is a favorite venue for bridal and baby showers . Spacious conference rooms are available for regular meetings or special events , and the large basement provides plenty of stretching room for yoga classes .
Having hosted the Columbus Symphony Orchestra , and more recently , Cincinnati ’ s Playhouse in the Park , this 31,573 square foot edifice offers the residents of Moores Hill and people throughout the region easy access to big-city events in a comfortable setting . But these events can only continue if local families attend performances , volunteer their time , and donate alwaysneeded funds .
One of the many opportunities for the public to support this irreplaceable building , see the original chalkboards , and walk up the well-worn staircases takes place on the first Saturday of December from 5:30 – 8:00 PM during the Moores Hill annual holiday celebration . The Winter Luminaria Walk includes carolers , hot chocolate and cookies , horse-drawn carriage rides , and a live music concert in the historic Carnegie Hall ’ s auditorium . All of the freewill offering proceeds will be donated directly to the school . The evening ’ s festivities culminate with the lighting of the town ’ s Christmas tree and a visit from Santa Claus himself . For more information about this event , ways to support Carnegie Hall , and answers to any questions about becoming a member of the Carnegie Historic Landmarks Preservation Society , please contact Linda Ickenroth at 812-744-4015 , staff @ thecarnegiehall . org , or by visiting : http :// thecarnegiehall . org .
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