Derby-Hall Bandstand
Encyclopedia
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
which stood on this site in Oyster Bay, New York, USA, and was used by President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and others to give public speeches. The original bandstand was taken down in the 1930s and replaced by a replica in 1981. The location is a featured site on the Oyster Bay History Walk
Oyster Bay History Walk
The Oyster Bay History Walk is a path through downtown Oyster Bay, New York that leads the walker to 30 historic sites. It is a 1 mile loop and is the first certified American Heart Association Start! Walking Path on Long Island.-Origins and Development:...
audio walking tour.
History
The original Derby-Hall Bandstand was used by President Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and others to give public speeches. The construction was taken down in the 1930s, and in 1981 a replica took its place to serve as a new platform for public speakers and a gathering place in the heart of the village.
Originally it was to be dedicated solely to the memory of Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter Ethel Roosevelt Derby
Ethel Roosevelt Derby
Ethel Carow Roosevelt Derby was the youngest daughter and fourth child of the President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt...
. Her godson, Oyster Bay native Leonard Wood Hall, a New York Congressman who also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
during the 1950s, was the principal organizer of the efforts to build the bandstand in her name. When he, too, died before it was completed, it was dedicated to both of them.
The view from the gazebo shows two buildings which are almost mirror images; Town Hall and the U.S. Post Office
U.S. Post Office (Oyster Bay, New York)
The Oyster Bay Post Office in Oyster Bay, New York was completed in 1936. New York architect William Bottomley designed this colonial revival structure to mirror the Oyster Bay Town Hall across the street. Inside are murals by the prominent American artist, illustrator and author Ernest Peixotto,...
. Old-timers may remember when the site of Town Hall East used to be the Lyric Theatre, where generations of Oyster Bay residents fell in love with the movies.
Three cannons surround the bandstand, each with a unique history.
The cannon facing Town Hall has on its base a tablet, cast from metal recovered from the wreckage of the USS Maine, which was destroyed in Havana Harbor February 15, 1898. Two hundred and sixty six men lost their lives when more than live tons of powder charges exploded completely destroying the forward third of the ship. Although most historians now agree that the explosion was accidental, tensions in the aftermath of the disaster contributed to America’s decision to begin the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
of 1898.
The cannon itself is a Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era Dahlgren gun
Dahlgren gun
Dahlgren guns were muzzle loading naval artillery designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren USN, mostly used in the period of the American Civil War. Dahlgren's design philosophy evolved from an accidental explosion in 1849 of a 32-pounder being tested for accuracy, killing a gunner...
, named for its inventor Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren
John A. Dahlgren
John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren was a United States Navy leader. He headed the Union Navy's ordnance department during the American Civil War and designed several different kinds of guns and cannons that were considered part of the reason the Union won the war...
. This gun, with its unique “soda bottle” shaped barrel, was manufactured in many sizes and became the standard weapon on Union Naval vessels after 1856.
The cannon at the foot of the gazebo stairs is a circa 1861 Civil War trophy gun from the USS R.R. Cuyler. The R.R. Cuyler was a 1202 ton wooden steamship chartered by the Union Navy
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
to enforce a blockade of Florida’s west coast. This 30 pound Parrott gun weighs 3510 pounds (1,592.1 kg). It was presented to Oyster Bay by the Navy and unveiled by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.
See also
- Oyster Bay History WalkOyster Bay History WalkThe Oyster Bay History Walk is a path through downtown Oyster Bay, New York that leads the walker to 30 historic sites. It is a 1 mile loop and is the first certified American Heart Association Start! Walking Path on Long Island.-Origins and Development:...
- Theodore Roosevelt in Oyster BayTheodore Roosevelt in Oyster BayTheodore Roosevelt spent his first summer in Oyster Bay with his family in 1874. Through the ensuing years as he rose to power, Oyster Bay would frequently serve as backdrop and stage on which many of his ambitions were realized. Several places connected to Theodore Roosevelt in his lifetime...
- List of Town of Oyster Bay Landmarks
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, New York