Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion

Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion. . Since 1925, music has drifted along the Davenport levee from the Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion. One of several bandshells in Davenport at the time, the Music Pavilion was the final touch in Davenport's riverfront beautification project known as LeClaire Park. William D. Petersen, a member of the first Davenport Levee Improvement Commission, donated the funds to construct the bandshell as a memorial to his deceased daughter Wilma and as a place to hold free concerts for the public. Commonly known as the LeClaire Park Bandshell, it is Davenport's last remaining bandshell, a remnant of an era before radio and television when local, mainly German, musicians provided musical entertainment for the community., Captions , . 1911 The Davenport Levee Improvement Commission created LeClaire Park by constructing a seawall about 300 feet from the original levee and filling in nine acres of land. The Commission was formed in 1911 under the leadership of William D. Petersen, and the park was completed in 1916. This photo shows the Park before the bandshell was constructed. Photo courtesy of Davenport Public Library , . c. 1919 Department store owner William Petersen personally supervised the construction work on the levee as the “straw boss”, earning him the title “Father of the Davenport Levee.” During a trip to Germany, Petersen noticed the beautiful parks along the Rhine River. Upon returning to Davenport, he convinced local businessmen and the city government to turn Davenport's garbage-laden levee into an improved multi-use riverfront. Photo Courtesy of Davenport Public Library , . 1924 This 1924 photograph shows the bandshell during its construction. Stones will soon be hoisted into place to complete the arch. Notice the man standing at the top. Could this be William Petersen inspecting the construction progress? Photo Courtesy of Davenport Public Library , . (background image) The Petersen Music Pavilion, shown here shortly after completion, was modeled after the Spanish Renaissance Revival style Spreckles Music Pavilion built for the 1915 Panama California Exhibition in San Diego. Photo Courtesy of Davenport Public Library, The RiverWay Project , The RiverWay Project is funded by a grant from the McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, to River Action, Inc. which is matched locally by foundations, city and county governments, businesses and individuals., Major funders to date include: the McKnight Foundation, the Riverboat Development Authority, Scott County Regional Authority, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, Iowa Arts Council, John Deere Foundation, Modern Woodmen of America, the Cities of Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, and the Counties of Rock Island and Scott., Courtesy of Riverboat Development Authority, Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science, River Action, and Downtown Davenport Development Corporation.