Jacksonville Bandstand

Jacksonville Bandstand. . , The Jacksonville Bandstand is one of two built in 1878-79 on the grounds of the Jacksonville Developmental Center (more commonly known as the Jacksonville State Hospital). Identified as the east bandstand on the property, it was used in the 19th and early 20th centuries by bands and theatrical troupes made up of patients and employees. Later, it was used by community members as well, but use of the bandstand dropped off after world war two. In 1983, The Bandstand was loaned to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution where it sat on the National Mall in Washington, DC., In 2009, the Bandstand was returned to Jacksonville, IL., for restoration and display. It was reconstructed and dedicated in its new home on the grounds of the Prairie Land Heritage Museum on September 24, 2011. The Bandstand traveled home in 16 crates and more than 1,000 pieces. Sitting atop a red brick foundation, all of the pine pieces have been reconstructed and repainted in their original 1879 color scheme: cream for the basic structure with Venetian red trim and a light blue ceiling. It is topped off with red-stained shingles [originally cedar shakes]. The floor is approximately 32 feet long and 24 feet wide across the bays. The height from the floor is 11.5 feet to the eaves and 17 feet to the highest ridge.