A look back at Cincinnati s Centennial Exposition in 1888 cincinnati.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cincinnati.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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In 1838, The Ohio Mechanics Institute sponsored the first exposition held in the United States. Interrupted by the Civil War, expositions resumed in 1869 in Saengerhalle, constructed by a local choral organization.
By 1872, Saengerhalle had been enlarged and was renamed Exposition Hall, and the exposition boasted an attendance of 500,00. A year later, Exposition Hall also hosted a May Musical Festival.
By 1875, the exposition had outgrown Cincinnati’s exposition building, and a local businessman and music lover made the controversial suggestion that the building be replaced by a music hall. In 1878, the music hall was completed. The hall consisted of a simple performance hall with an elevated stage (with a grand organ for a newly-formed Organ Society) and wings designed for industrial expositions. The same year, the College of Music (now Cincinnati Conservatory) opened in the hall.