1850s–1870s: Venues

Greer’s Hall

Before 1853, New Brunswick’s indoor entertainment venues were limited to City Hall or a large room in a tavern. But on November 9, 1853, George Greer, a local baker, opened an amusement hall on the second floor of 197 Burnet Street in the heart of the business district. It was equipped with a stage, candle footlights, and a curtain that could be raised and lowered; and the audience could pay 25 cents to stand in the modest space that, as one New Brunswicker recalled, was often filled “to the point of suffocation.” For the next 20 years, it was the sole public hall of any importance in the city.

Music Warerooms and Showrooms

An excerpt from Asher Atkinson’s diary recalls a cold Sunday afternoon in January 1873 when his wife had “some beautiful music in store for this day.” To have a pleasant afternoon of parlor songs, residents had to have the right equipment at their disposal. On Hiram Street, E.V. Addis’ Piano, Organ and Melodeon Showroom carried the latest Aeolian player pianolas and the popular Orchestrelle player reed organs. Locals like Mary Atkinson could pop into Pette & Burton’s General Music Warerooms to try their hands (and voices) on sheet music arrangements ranging from simple dance-and-march piano versions of popular tunes to excerpts from European operas with English singing translations.