Whether it was new music or buildings proposed locally, it was a busy news month during February 1929.
As readers of The Oneonta Herald learned on Feb. 14, “The first concert of a series opening in this city under the auspices of the Oneonta Community Concert Association and patronized by many towns of Otsego and Delaware counties, filled the auditorium of the High school last night when the Russian Symphonic choir, under personal direction of Baslic Kibalchich, conductor, presented a three-part program in this city.” At that time, Oneonta High was found on Academy Street.
“The music came as a revelation to the local audience of what may be achieved in the way of symphony music with the human voice alone. The choir, numbering nine men and eight women, beside its director, gave a complete symphonic arrangement of sacred, classical and Russian folk music without accompaniment of any sort, all the orchestral effects being achieved entirely by the voices.”
While our area had this series to enjoy, local Masons were closing in on a new home.
As The Herald of Feb. 21 reported, “Edwin R. Moore, Master of Oneonta Masonic lodge, has called a special communication of that organization for Thursday evening of this week to secure an expression of the membership relative to the proposal for a new Masonic Temple in this city, a project which has been under consideration for some time and for which a site is now in the possession of the lodge.” This temple was the former Fairchild Mansion, at the corner of Main and Grand streets, still in use 95 years later.
Alternate sites were discussed at that meeting, but as The Herald of Feb. 28 reported, the majority of members preferred the Fairchild property.
While we know it today as SUNY Oneonta’s Bugbee Hall, the idea for it began that month.
Herald readers on Feb. 28 also found out, “Assemblyman Frank M. Smith of Otsego has introduced a bill in the legislature appropriating the sum of $375,000 for the construction of a practice school at the Oneonta State Normal School.”
The original building, known as Old Main, once stood at the top of Maple and State streets, and space was becoming tighter.
“The building, originally erected to accommodate 400 Normal students, has been overcrowded for years with 600 or more students enrolled and the need of a practice school building (for teachers) has become imperative.” It opened as Bugbee Hall in 1932.
Our local world of finance was seeing some new home offices opening.
As The Herald also reported Feb. 28, “The officers and directors of the First National bank of Morris announced the opening of their new banking house at the corner of Main and Broad streets on Saturday, Feb. 22. During the afternoon and evening of that day an informal reception and took place and the public was cordially invited to call and inspect the building and its various departments at that time.”
While it was called an opening, it actually had just completed a major remodeling.
“The First National was organized and began business in1893, the first office being in the building now owned and occupied by C.H. Lawrence as his hardware store. About three years later the bank was moved into the stone building at the corner of Main and Broad streets, which was then owned by the late J.P. Kenyon and which Mr. Kenyon had fitted up into what was at that time considered a very modern banking office. The building itself was one of the old stone buildings which are landmarks of the Butternut Valley, having been built about the year 1830 by Captain Dan Smith.”
The First National was acquired in the second half of the 20th century by what was then Wilber National Bank, which became Community Bank around 2011. The Morris branch was recently closed.
Regarding the Wilber National Bank, Herald readers on Feb. 28 were told, “soon to displace the historic Ford Mansion at 245 Main street — one of the last of the structures in the (Oneonta) business section linking the present city with the village of a century ago — is the new building to be erected by the Wilber National bank, plans for which have been approved by the directors.” It’s still seen today near the corner of Main Street and Ford Avenue, with the cornerstone that reads 1929.
On Wednesday, a look at Oneonta’s educational beat in February 1959.
Oneonta City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area before 1950. His Wednesday columns address local history 1950 and later. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or email him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is oneontanyhistorian.com. His columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/.