The Chautauqua Auditorium at Forest Park, Shelbyville, IL

Last Friday I came across the most wonderful historical building located in Shelbyville, IL. I had decided to eat at the park and noticed this huge building. Not knowing what it was- I took the second picture and decided to research it when I returned home from camping. I was able to look inside and saw this wonderful stage area(of course it didn't look like this-I snagged this off the internet so you could see what the inside looks like. It is an absolutely amazing building. I'm hoping that they can raise the money to do the needed repairs. It would be a horrible shame if it was torn down. This municipal park features 120 acres of rolling woods, with a fishing lagoon and sunken garden, along with the Chautauqua Auditorium, Vietnam memorial, family aquatic center, picnic area, pavillions, baseball and softball diamonds, soccerfield, volleyball and tennis courts, hiking trail and more.

The Chautauqua Auditorium, built in 1903, is a large historic icosagonal (20-sided) wooden chautauqua meeting hall located at Forest Park and North East 9th Street, Shelbyville, Illinois, United States. On January 30, 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2009 Landmarks Illinois declared it one of the 10 most endangered historic places in Illinois. The building is in need of extensive repairs which are estimated to cost $1,750,000. The city of Shelbyville which owns the auditorium has threatened to tear it down if repairs cannot be made within 2 years. The Chautauqua Auditorium Preservation Committee is working on funding for a four-phase renovation project.

I'm joining White Wednesday at http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/ and Outdoor Wednesday at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/