Bandshell at Fairmount Park: Riverside City Landmark #10
Location: Fairmount Boulevard and Market Street (inside Fairmount Park)
Date Established: September, 1920
Date Visited: 5/31/2014
A picture of Arthur B. Benton with signature.
Arthur Burnett Benton, was a well known architect from Illinois who moved to California in 1891. In 1901 he was hired to design the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Riverside. Attracted to his Spanish Mission revival style Frank Miller hired him in 1902 to design the new “Mission Wing” for the Mission Inn. He would go on to design many more buildings for the Mission Inn and Riverside. Including the Fairmount Park Bandshell in 1920.
The Riverside Military Band of 1920.
The Fairmount Park Bandshell was originally built according to the city of Riverside to “commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of Riverside’s Military Band. It was destroyed in a fire in 1992 and rebuilt in 1995.”
Today the Fairmount Park Bandshell sits squarely in Fairmount Park. Still used for concerts today (although there is no more military band), you can go to the park and listen to a band most Wednesday nights.
The dome as seen today (2014).
Riverside City Landmark Plaque for the Fairmount Park Bandshell.
“Music thou child of heaven. Thou lost dull care beguile and with thy ministry of grace provoke our souls to smile.” The original dedication plaque for the band shell from 1920.
The Riverside Military Academy is in Gainesville, Georgia. A second campus was acquired in Hollywood, Florida, in 1937. Your picture shows the band of that campus marching on the campus. The palm trees make it seem like California but Florida has them too. I am only a local historian who tried to place the Riverside Military Academy in California, but it never happened. Please contact the band director at Riverside Military Academy for further assistance.
CWO2 Stephen Glove sglove@riversidemilitary.com
Thank you I have updated the picture.
The Riverside Military Band is still in existence today althought they have used the name Riverside Concert Band for the last 50 years. Originally formed for the bicentennial celebration in 1876 as the Riverside Cornet Band, it is the oldest all volunteer Band in America.