Chautauqua was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s.

This Chautauqua auditorium was built in 1903 and located in Shelbyville IL, has just been recently updated for well over 1 million USD. The last repairs were done in 1970 by a grain silo assembler when snowfall collapsed the roof. The building is now ADA compliant and is open to rent and hosts a variety of town events.

More about the structure: It is the largest building of its kind anywhere in the world. The building was constructed by a local bridge builder and designed with a unique system of structural support. Because of this, there are no interior pillars to block the view of the stage.

The large stage features three female Grecian statues representing Art, Music and Drama. These statues were works from renowned Illinois artist and Shelbyville native Robert Root

That's pretty cool. I looked it up, interesting history behind these buildings, I had never heard of this. Thanks!

I live in Oregon near what was a very large Chautauqua grounds. The original building is no longer there, but the land still is. Look up in Gladstone Oregon. The town celebrates with a Chautauqua festival every year.

that's pretty cool.

This is what happens when a bridge builder builds a building