McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
at 6405 Hillcrest Rd, Dallas , 75205 United States
Address and contacts of McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
6405 Hillcrest Rd
Dallas , TX 75205
United States Email
Description
McFarlin Memorial Auditorium is a proscenium style theatre located on the campus of Southern Methodist University. The venue seats 2,386 on three levels. The building is the third oldest on SMU's campus and has hosted a number of notable acts.HistoryBy the early 1920s, the students, faculty and staff of SMU had severely outgrown the capacity of Dallas and Clements Halls. Arguments were put forth as to what the next campus building should be. In the end, President Selecman and the Methodist bishops made the decision to build a chapel/auditorium as SMU's third permanent building. Financing was secured by a generous donation from devout Methodist and San Antonio businessman Robert M. McFarlin.The McFarlin Memorial Auditorium was opened in 1926 to fulfill the University's pressing need for a chapel that could accommodate the entire student body. The building has evolved over time and continues to serve the University in the manner envisioned by SMU President Charles Selecman as "a place where we can have our friends from the community and elsewhere gather together on great occasions."Though historically attractive, technology and ambiance are priorities as the university continues to keep the facility current. Recent projects include restoration of the main lobby to its historic integrity, renovation of restrooms, installation of a sprung floor on stage, and a complete reupholster of the auditorium's seats.Notable eventsSpeakersWinston ChurchillGeorge ClintonCharlton HestonBob HopeMartin Luther King Jr.Margaret ThatcherStephen HawkingGeorge H.W. BushGeorge W. BushRuth Bader Ginsburg
Company Rating
10524 Facebook users were in McFarlin Memorial Auditorium. It's a 7 position in Popularity Rating for companies in Landmark & Historical Place category in Dallas, Texas238 FB users likes McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, set it to 15 position in Likes Rating for Dallas, Texas in Landmark & Historical Place category
Summary
McFarlin Memorial Auditorium is Dallas based place and this enity listed in Performance Venue category. Located at 6405 Hillcrest Rd TX 75205. Contact phone number of McFarlin Memorial Auditorium: (214) 768-3139
Landmark & Historical Place category, Dallas
1601 Main St Dallas , TX 75201 United States
700 N Pearl St Dallas , TX 75201 United States
Dallas , TX null United States
The Dallas Cotton Exchange Building was a 17-story tan brick and concrete building on the corner of North St. Paul and San Jacinto Streets in downtown Dallas, Texas. It was built in 1926 and was for decades Dallas' second-tallest, as the city was growing into the largest inland cotton market in the U.S. By 1971, though the city had become the financial capital of the cotton industry, the exchange housed more Baptists than brokers because of offices rented to nearby First Baptist Church. By 1987 the building sat vacant.Foreclosure and demolitionNew owner James Louis Williams purchased the Cotton Exchange Building in 1985 and planned to tear it down to build a new 52-story tower in its place. But due to the savings and loan crisis that began in the late 1980s, Williams ended up in bankruptcy court, which in 1991 cut his debt on the structure from $15 million to $9.9 million. Meanwhile, the original lender on the building, First RepublicBank Corp., had failed in 1988, sending the loan to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. In 1991, demolition crews were hired to implode the structure.City inspectors determined that the Cotton Exchange's precast concrete panels, attached during a 1960s renovation, had a high asbestos content and should be removed before implosion. When these were removed, it was discovered that the building's original 1926 exterior was intact and efforts were initiated to save the building from implosion. Then-Mayor Steve Bartlett attempted to persuade Mr. Williams to seek a buyer who would convert the offices to apartments, but the Dallas City Council did not pass enhanced tax abatements for inner-city housing renovations until October 1993, too late to stop the process. On June 25, 1994, the building was destroyed by implosion.LegacyThe site was eventually acquired by First Baptist Church, which in 2013 plans to open a $115 million state-of-the-art campus on land that includes the former Cotton Exchange Building footprint. The stone lions, a signature architectural detail of the building, now grace the Maple Avenue entrance of the Stoneleigh Hotel.