Lowell Memorial Auditorium

Lowell Memorial Auditorium
West (front) side and south side of building, along East Merrimack Street. The frieze lists battles of the American Revolution.
Map
Address50 East Merrimack Street
Lowell, Massachusetts
United States
Coordinates42°38′42″N 71°18′15″W / 42.645068°N 71.304172°W / 42.645068; -71.304172
OwnerCity of Lowell
TypePerforming Arts Center
Capacity2,800
Construction
Opened1922
Years active1922–Present
ArchitectBlackall, Clapp & Whittemore
Website
www.lowellauditorium.com/

The Lowell Memorial Auditorium is an indoor auditorium in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is dedicated to local veterans of war.

The 2,800-seat venue was built in 1922 by the architectural firm of Blackall, Clapp & Whittemore.[1][2] The exterior walls bear the names of famous generals and battles, with monuments to newer wars on the auditorium's small lawn.

Common events include concerts, comedy acts, large plays, and boxing. Attached to the auditorium is the smaller theatre of the Merrimack Repertory Theatre.

In February 2014, an American flag from the Civil War was discovered in the basement.[3][4] The flag had been carried by Solon Perkins, a lieutenant in the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment, who was killed in the Battle of Clinton, Louisiana, on June 3, 1863.[3] It was given to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in 1929 by Mary Sawyer Knapp,[3][5][6] and now hangs there in the Hall of Flags.[3]

  1. ^ Harley, Ed. "History of the LMA". Belvidere Neighborhood Association. Archived from the original on 2011-09-05. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  2. ^ "The Beauty of the LMA". Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Archived from the original on 2011-09-05. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  3. ^ a b c d "Civil War Flag Discovered In Lowell Memorial Auditorium Basement". Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  4. ^ "Civil War Flag Discovered at LMA". RichardHowe.com. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  5. ^ "From ragged glory, a piece of Lowell Civil War history unfurled". www.lowellsun.com. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  6. ^ "More on the Civil War Flag Mystery". RichardHowe.com. Retrieved 2016-01-08.