History of the Arts in Fitchburg

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The Bijou Theater of Whitney Block, more commonly known by the name Whitney Opera House, was a Whitney Family property run by Andrew Whitney in the 1900s. Andrew opened the Opera house in 1881 due to a love of music and the theater ingrained in him at a young age. This was imbued into Andrew in part by the Whitney family's involvement in the manufacturing of pianos and organs in the Fitchburg area. On October 20th of 1881, the halls of the Whitney Opera house opened their doors to the public with their first show “The Mascot.” From 1906 until the closure of the theater in 1916, the theater began to go by its new name, the Bijou Theater.

2. Dick Ziegler and The WFGL Radio Station

Richard Ziegler, more commonly known as Dick Williams, was a popular musician, singer, and radio personality in the city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts who dedicated his life to making people happy. He had an orchestra that performed all around New England where he was best known for singing as he was conducting the orchestra. Then he was recruited by the WFGL radio station located in Fitchburg where he became a popular DJ, especially with his Sunday morning Songs of Faith program where he received a lot of fanmail. Dick Williams was in the radio business for over 30 years where he then retired to Florida to live a pretty magical life working at Disney’s Magic Kingdom where he put a smile on everyone's face.

3. The Iver Johnson Building, Johnsonia

What was originally constructed as a hotel and office building in 1897 has served as a monument to downtown Fitchburg residents for decades. The Iver Johnson Building (better known as the “Johnsonia”) was built as a tribute to the massively successful gunsmith and businessman Iver Johnson, founding Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works, which produced firearms and bicycles in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

4. The Fitchburg Athenaeum

The Fitchburg Athenaeum was organized in 1852 and was originally a private library that occupied a room in the town hall. The Athenaeum became a place that held gatherings of people wanting to hear others' ideas and beliefs. The book collection grew from an initial size of 500 books to 1,400 over time, before the Athenaeum was closed and its collection was taken over by the new Fitchburg Public Library. Back in the day, the Athenaeum was a place where influential people came to speak and be heard by the locals in Fitchburg. Individuals would buy tickets to attend these public gatherings. The price was relatively cheap, 10-15 cents depending on if you were a male or female. When Henry David Thoreau spoke at the Athenaeum, they charged $1.50, which was a little more than the other speakers. As mentioned before, the Athenaeum was known for having lectures given by popular speakers over the course of six years.

5. Fitchburg Art Museum

Founded in 1925, the Fitchburg Art Museum is comprised of four buildings which hold space for regional and contemporary exhibitions, and its permanent collection of 19th century American art and photography, African American art, and Greek, Roman and Egyptian art. The museum also offers various educational programs for people of all ages. It is an important cultural and art institution for central New England.

6. The Rollstone Boulder

While visiting Fitchburg, Massachusetts, you might have spotted a ginormous boulder on your way into town. Weighing in at 110 tons, the Rollstone Boulder is a glacial erratic that migrated from southern New Hampshire to our very own town of Fitchburg. Moreover, the boulder was blown up so it could later be moved, reconstructed, and preserved. The rock has now become an iconic site for the city and can be found on a traffic island in downtown Fitchburg.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

History of the Arts in Fitchburg

Created by J.J. Sylvia IV on January 13th 2023, 3:40:34 pm.

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Description

This walking tour explores the history of the arts, widely construed in Fitchburg, MA. The tour largely follows along Main Street with a few detours down side streets. This project was a collaboration of the Fitchburg Historical Commission, The Fitchburg Historical Society, and Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV's COMM 1105 Introduction to Communication Media Fall 2023 course. Students in the class selected the topic for their walking tour stop and worked in the archives at the Fitchburg Historical Society to generate their writeups.

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History of the Arts in Fitchburg

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