The Bandstand on the Square

In 1879, city councilman Ernest Rapp proposed the construction of a bandstand in the center of the city square for use by the Cornet Band, but his motion failed. Fast-forward to June 1885, and the first bandstand was constructed on the square at a cost of around $100, which today would be roughly $3000. This bandstand was constructed on the east side of the center of the square.

That original simple bandstand held its own for around fifteen years, but around the turn of the century, a new wood-frame bandstand was built in the dead center of the square, most likely to shroud the well that had been tapped for water. It was taller, and the band platform was raised, presumably to cover the well’s pumps.  

In 1926, a third version of the bandstand, a brick structure, was constructed in the same center spot. Charles Carlson received the contract for the construction, with Walter Vogelsang doing some of the brickwork. It was a lower structure yet still hidden the well pumps from view. This bandstand lives on in the minds of more seasoned Washingtonians, as it existed for over thirty years.

By 1955, a burgeoning town caused most concerts to be moved off the Square. A lack of parking caused congestion, and the bandstand had become too small for the band. The town had seemingly outgrown the bandstand. By 1959, the City was looking for options. With every renovation plan considered too expensive and the water well on the square being capped with a new well being dug behind what is now the Washington Police Station, the bandstand met its final demise in July 1959.

Within a short time, the Town & Country Garden Club grabbed the wheel and was the driving force behind the fountain's installation in the middle of the Square.  The fountain, completed in 1963, still exists to this day.