Here at the Memminger Auditorium, drama extends beyond the stage. This building has quite a story. Let me tell you about it.
The Memminger Auditorium is a live performance and special events venue. It is located right here in Charleston. It is also known as Festival Hall.
Back in the mid-1930s, local school officials wanted an auditorium for Memminger High School. Funding was tight because of the Depression. The estimated cost to build the Simons & Lapham-designed auditorium was $93,000. The project was given a B status by the federal agency.
The county and school district joined forces. They argued it could serve other schools. It could also be used as a community center.
By May 1937, funding hadn’t been approved. The city board of school commissioners requested $42,300 from the Public Works Administration. This PWA request covered Rivers School, the Memminger Auditorium, and the College of Charleston gym. The auditorium was deemed more desirable.
In August 1937, FDR approved a PWA grant for $126,818. This was for a junior high school building on Race St. It would become the Rivers School on King St. The school board was to fund the remaining $160,000. M. Rutledge Rivers said the money would be for the new school. But only if earmarked. Otherwise, it would fund a much-needed auditorium-gymnasium at Memminger High School. When only one project could be funded, the mayor pushed for the junior high school. It would bring in more money and jobs.
Somehow, funding was secured for the Memminger Auditorium. The City Council conveyed land next to Memminger School. The school board approved Simons & Lapham’s plans. It would be a PWA project costing $113,000. The PWA awarded $50,850. The school board covered 60% with bonds. The work was contracted out. This differed from WPA projects.
The site already had a large 19th-century house and other buildings. All five buildings were demolished. Construction moved forward in January 1939. The opening was expected by June.
The new facility was to open with the school year on September 5, 1939. The school board accepted the building on August 25, 1939. Artley Construction Co. of Savannah, Georgia built it. It opened for public inspection on September 21, 1939.
The Memminger Auditorium was impressive. It had the second-largest stage in the South. The stage was a basketball court. It featured retractable lighting.
The keys were handed over in a ceremony on September 21, 1939. Principal George C. Rogers dedicated the auditorium to the young women of the city. That month, student body officers were sworn in here.
For thirty years, the Memminger Auditorium was Charleston’s premiere venue. It became neglected after the Gailliard Center opened in 1968. By 1985, the windows were boarded up. Hurricane Hugo tore off the roof. Asbestos was removed. The roof was repaired. It was only used for storage.
The rebirth of King St. sparked interest in restoring the building. The City offered $1 million to help restore the Memminger Auditorium. This was tied to moving the Academic Magnet High School. The City Council approved a $2.7 million plan.
But the school district changed course. They decided to keep the Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston. The City withdrew its $2.7 million donation.
Ironically, the building’s poor condition saved it. Its stripped-out look was perfect for “Surrogate Cities.” This was a musical composition by Heiner Goebbels. It was part of the Spoleto Festival USA in 2000. It was the public’s first visit in over a decade. The concert sparked talk of restoration.
Mayor Joseph P. Riley offered $500,000. The school district never acted. The City used the money elsewhere. Spoleto installed a $60,000 air conditioning system in 2002. Each year, the building’s decrepit state added to the productions.
In 2006, a deal was struck. The City leased the building for free for 50 years. Spoleto would restore it. The City would insure the building. It would provide parking for school workers. Spoleto expected to spend about $6 million.
The Memminger Auditorium was restored over two years. Handicap access was added. The area was improved with a garden. The garden was dedicated to Countess Alicia Spaulding Paolozzi. She helped bring Spoleto Festival USA to Charleston. Huff + Gooden was the architecture firm behind the restoration. The first show was the 2008 Spoleto production of “Amistad.”
In 2022, the American Heritage Association sued over the “renaming” of the building as Festival Hall. The group claimed the name honored Christopher Memminger. He was the Confederacy’s Secretary of the Treasury. They claimed the South Carolina Heritage Act forbade renaming it. The City said it hadn’t renamed the hall. The new name was used in marketing.
And that is the story of the Memminger Auditorium. A place of drama both on and off the stage.