Lakeside Park Bandstand

Introduction

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In the early 1900s, local citizens of Fond Du Lac started an effort to construct this bandstand at Lakeside Park. William McDermott, a well-known resident of Fond du Lac, provided the city with funds to build this structure which has been well-preserved. The Fond du Lac Historic Preservation Commission designated the bandstand as a local historic site in 1991.

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Backstory and Context

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The original plans called for an octagon-shaped building which is 30 feet tall, topped with a 12 foot flagpole which was later removed. The building architect was Hiram P. Thompson. The platform is elevated to eight feet with a liberal amount of ornamentation such as beaded posts, brackets, and scroll work. A protective railing was built around the platform. Original access to the platform from the ground level is located inside the building via a stairway and a trap door. At a later date, an outside stairway was constructed for easier access to the platform. Sunday afternoons were popular times for the people of Fond du Lac to meet around the bandstand and enjoy a concert by the Military Band of the City, and it was eventually named in honor of Joseph Schmitz, who conducted many concerts there. The May 30, 1959 issue of the Saturday Evening Post drew national attention to the Bandstand when it featured a color photograph and short article about it. This brought a request from the mayor of New Berlin, New York, for the plans of the bandstand, but it is not known if a copy of the bandstand was made.