Benefit Aimed at Restoring Singing Tower
at McKean Memorial Park
By SANDRA RHODES
If a benefit on Saturday makes enough money, it will be music to the ears of the McKean Memorial Park Restoration Committee. Why? Because the money is going to the restoration of the Singing Tower at McKean Memorial Park.
The Singing Tower, which has sat silent for decades, was built at the hands of Walter Hall, the same architect and builder of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater and Lynn Hall near Port Allegany.
The benefit includes an optional poker run with the sign up from 9:30 to 11 AM at the administration building of McKean Memorial Park. Other activities will take place at Tack's Inn at the corner of Route 59 and 219. This includes a chicken barbecue and DJ from 2 to 5 PM and live entertainment from 6 to 10 p.m. There will also be a silent auction.
Built in the late 1930s the Singing Tower was constructed of a native stone to reflect the architecture of the gateways and administration building. SPA centerpiece of the cemetery, the tower included a pond and music which wafted from its sound system.
John Ryan, a member of the committee, said the idea for the restoration came out of a conversation he had with Alan Scott, president of the McKean Memorial Park Association, about the deterioration of the cemetery.
Ryan said he hopes to restoration committee's fundraising efforts will be an ongoing thing and will move to other areas of the cemetery as money allows.
Ryan said the community has always taken ownership of the cemetery and hopes that they will step forward to help in the restoration of the singing tower another projects.
"I remember when I was a student at MJ Ryan and we would go down there for physical education," he said. "I would try to catch the gold fish with my bare hands."
But, he said that the Singing Tower and areas at the cemetery fallen victim to vandals throughout the years.
"It just sort of quietly happened," he said of the vandalism, the filling in of the pond and the silencing of the Singing Tower.
Ryan said there are several people willing to volunteer their time to do such projects as putting the sounds system back in the tower and now they need some financial backing.
The news of the Frank Lloyd Wright connection was a surprise when one day, Sally Costik received a call from William Scott, an expert in Wright's students.
Given its connection with Wright, Hall and local history, organizers hope to have a good turnout on Saturday.
If you are interested but cannot attend Saturday's events, contributions can be made at Northwest Savings Bank, 33 Main St., Bradford.
The news leader of the Twin Tiers ...
since 1947
If a benefit on Saturday makes enough money, it will be music to the ears of the McKean Memorial Park Restoration Committee. Why? Because the money is going to the restoration of the Singing Tower at McKean Memorial Park.
The Singing Tower, which has sat silent for decades, was built at the hands of Walter Hall, the same architect and builder of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater and Lynn Hall near Port Allegany.
The benefit includes an optional poker run with the sign up from 9:30 to 11 AM at the administration building of McKean Memorial Park. Other activities will take place at Tack's Inn at the corner of Route 59 and 219. This includes a chicken barbecue and DJ from 2 to 5 PM and live entertainment from 6 to 10 p.m. There will also be a silent auction.Built in the late 1930s the Singing Tower was constructed of a native stone to reflect the architecture of the gateways and administration building. SPA centerpiece of the cemetery, the tower included a pond and music which wafted from its sound system.
John Ryan, a member of the committee, said the idea for the restoration came out of a conversation he had with Alan Scott, president of the McKean Memorial Park Association, about the deterioration of the cemetery.
Ryan said he hopes to restoration committee's fundraising efforts will be an ongoing thing and will move to other areas of the cemetery as money allows.
Ryan said the community has always taken ownership of the cemetery and hopes that they will step forward to help in the restoration of the singing tower another projects.
"I remember when I was a student at MJ Ryan and we would go down there for physical education," he said. "I would try to catch the gold fish with my bare hands."
But, he said that the Singing Tower and areas at the cemetery fallen victim to vandals throughout the years.
"It just sort of quietly happened," he said of the vandalism, the filling in of the pond and the silencing of the Singing Tower.
Ryan said there are several people willing to volunteer their time to do such projects as putting the sounds system back in the tower and now they need some financial backing.
The news of the Frank Lloyd Wright connection was a surprise when one day, Sally Costik received a call from William Scott, an expert in Wright's students.
Given its connection with Wright, Hall and local history, organizers hope to have a good turnout on Saturday.
If you are interested but cannot attend Saturday's events, contributions can be made at Northwest Savings Bank, 33 Main St., Bradford.
The news leader of the Twin Tiers ...since 1947
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