I have written before about Gruene Hall, located about 10 minutes from our home, which bills itself as "Texas' oldest dance hall." Though I have deep roots in Texas, I always thought of Gruene Hall as one of a kind. After all, I never saw dance halls while growing up in Dallas.
What I needed to do was to adjust my sights to Central Texas, the land settled by Germans and Czechs in the 19th century. Those Central Europeans did not only bring sausage and beer to Central Texas, they also brought their love of dancing. And today, though the two step has replaced the polka, a number of the dance halls still survive.
I never thought the Central Texas dance halls would make it to the exalted repertoire of National Public Radio until yesterday's story on "Morning Edition." I almost swallowed my toothbrush when I heard John Burnet 's story about the most recently-renovated establishment, Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg, Texas. Burnet reports that at one time there were about 1000 such dance halls operating, largely in the Central Texas region settled by Czechs and Germans; today there are only half that number, and most of them are rotting away in rural areas. Sengelmannn got a million dollar makeover, thanks to a Houston philanthropist, and it appears to be as impressive as the date it first opened.
One fact is certain: after a million-dollar makeover, Sengelmann must seem like a palace. Come to New Braunfels, and we will take you to Gruene Hall: screens instead of walls on two sides, a hardwood floor that dips and weaves, the smell of spilled beer and 100 years of tobacco smoke in every fixture, a potbellied stove near the bar pumping out heat to take the chill off (for at least a radius of 25 feet) and you will know that you are in the real deal, not a makeover.
3 comments:
Hello, this is Dana Harper, owner of Sengelmann Hall speaking. Thanks for your wonderful blog about Texas Dance Halls. I just want to say a few words about the restoration of Sengelmann Hall. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and was therefore restored by strict guidelines. What we did was a sensitive restoration not a 'makeover'. During the restoration, nothing in the Hall was altered. The original 1890's woodwork and the longfleaf pine dancefloor has not been refinished. The original chicken wire around the bar upstairs and the original light fixtures remain intact. The Hall needed a new roof and balcony which had rotted away. We also added AC and fire suppression system. The historic building next door was purchased in order to add restrooms, elevator, kitchen and bakery. We also replicated the original giant mahogany bar in the Saloon as it was sold in the 1950's and we could not track it down. When I first walked into the empty Hall in the 1990's it still had party decorations on the wall and beer caps on the floor from the 1940's. Come see for yourself and you will understand that Sengelmann Hall oozes with as much character and history as any of the great original Texas Dance Halls, it is a true time capsule. You can see some pictures on our website.
http://www.sengelmannhall.com/
Dana--I will in fact come for a visit! Can't wait!
So now you know why you only use initials!
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