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Category:Mealeys Auditorium, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Mealeys Auditorium was a large auditorium, located at 425 Hamilton Street, oOwned by Professor William J. Mealey. Mealey was born in 1868, he learned to dance as a hobby growing up in Allentown. In 1890 he began to hold dances and classes in the Old Allentown Central Market Hall (now Miller Sympathy Hall) in 1892. Later he taught dancing on the street floor of the Lehigh Valley Railroad's station, then known as the Lehigh Valley Hall.

Kown as the "Dancing Master", Professor Mealey opened his purpose-built auditorium on September 7th, 1910, which was built for dances and indoor band concerts with 15,000 square feet of dance floor space. Over the years, it played host to Former President Robert Taft, who addressed a group of Masons there.

In the 1920s, large touring Big Bands began to perform to Mealey's. Mealey's was one of three Big Band halls in Allentown, the others being the Empire and the Frolic Ballrooms. This was where you could hear Ray Anthony's Orchestra, the Dorsey Brothers or any one of a number of the Big Bands that traveled the eastern Pennsylvania circuit. Beaides the big bands, Mealey's was famous for its indoor decor, which changed every year. It was a popular place for high school and college proms, group dinners and meetings. In April 1927, Professor Mealey's passed and his son, William F. Mealey, took over the business and operated the facility until 1940 when the Mealey family sold the property to GMS Enterprises. W F Mealey passed in February 1981.

From 1941 though 1954, Mealey's was known locally as Mealey's Roller Rink when the auditorium had been converted into a roller skating rink. Mealey's closed in 1954 and was sold to the Cata Garment Company in 1954. Used as warehouse space until 1961 when it was torn down as part of an urban renewal project. Today, the Allentown City Hall stands on its location

Camera location40° 36′ 13″ N, 75° 27′ 59″ W Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMapinfo

Media in category "Mealeys Auditorium, Allentown, Pennsylvania"

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