On Saturday, July 18, the Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill will host a public celebration of the 125th anniversary of Central Hall, the iconic yellow meeting hall that has graced 306 Falls Bridge Road for a century and a quarter.
To celebrate this important milestone, the public is invited to attend a series of events throughout the afternoon and evening. From 2 to 7 p.m., the LPIS will host a silent auction at the Hall, featuring items and experiences generously donated by local businesses. Proceeds from the auction will support improvements to Central Hall’s community kitchen. Historical exhibits and music from South Blue Hill neighbors will also be available for the enjoyment of all who stop in.
At 5 p.m., a ticketed barbecue dinner will be served outdoors under a tent. The dinner is now sold out!
Finally, as the silent auction closes at 7 p.m., South Blue Hill resident Noel Paul Stookey will perform some songs on the beautiful stage on the second floor of the Hall, followed by a contra dance from 7:30 to 9 p.m. called by Mike Fay. There is no admission fee for music and dancing, but donations to the Hall are welcome. Attendees should take note that the second floor of the Hall is unfortunately not ADA accessible and requires climbing one flight of stairs to access.
The first “Ladies Public Improvement Society of South Blue Hill” was organized in 1886. In 1899, the group was re-formed under the same name for the purpose of building a Hall “for social and religious purposes.” Many women’s clubs were being organized across America during the Progressive Era, often with a focus on public interest: charity, politics, and social reform. LPIS members met regularly throughout the group’s early years, documenting the many sewing projects (mainly quilts and aprons) that they worked on to raise money for the construction of the Hall. Their minutes reflect that they held sales, dances, and dinners, bringing in funds cents at a time until they were able to construct Central Hall in 1901, when they also incorporated as a formal organization. Central Hall has been used as a community gathering place ever since, and today all South Blue Hill residents are automatically considered members of the Ladies Public Improvement Society.
