The Vienna Union Hall: An Unexpected Treasure

by Gregor Smith

At the foot of Vienna Mountain, a few hundred feet up a single-lane strip of cracked blacktop lies a hidden gem. From the outside, the Vienna Union Hall seems modest. Were it not for the sign over the door and the wheelchair ramp on the right side, you could easily mistake it for a well-maintained, 19^th-century farmhouse.

But this nondescript structure is not what it seems. Step inside, walk past two small anterooms, and you will behold a 30′ × 40′ auditorium, seemingly bigger on the inside than on the outside, with off-white walls, teal wainscoting, and dark red trim. At the far end sits a stage with a gaudy, gold-painted proscenium. Together, the main floor and the balcony, which is accessible by steep flights of stairs on either end, can seat 120.

Since the late 1800s, the Vienna Union Hall has been providing entertainment and enlightenment to the residents of Vienna and the surrounding towns, as well as to summer visitors. Currently, the hall presents concerts from spring till late fall or early winter by more than a dozen singers and ensembles. Most of the performers are from Maine, but there have been nationally touring artists as well, including Jonathan Edwards, Aztec Two-Step 2.0, and the late David Mallet.

So far this year, the hall has hosted singer-songwriter Ruth Hill, the Katahdin Valley Boys Bluegrass Band, and Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations. Coming up later in the season are the Porch Party Mamas (August 29), Chase Winn and the Chicken Street Band (Sept. 27), the Gawler Family (Oct. 5), the Pete Kilpatrick Band (Oct. 17), and finally, the aforementioned Aztec Two-Step 2.0 (Oct. 25).

The hall also has not one, but two, resident theater ensembles. Each year on the last weekend in July, the Vienna Historical Society gives four performances of a new play of historical fiction written by local nonagenarian Beverly Wight Smith. Two weekends later, the Vienna Woods Players offer four performances of an older play by a nationally known playwright. This year, it’s Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry, with performances August 7-10, Thursday through Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00.

The story of the structure began in 1888, when, according to the Vienna Union Hall Association’s website, “residents of Vienna concluded that they needed a building in town to house all sorts of public gatherings. Several women of the town got together and formed the Union Hall Association on February 25, 1888.…On March 1, 1888 the Association met again to decide where the hall should be built, and then work began in earnest. Money was raised through membership subscriptions and work and materials were freely given.” By December, there was still work to be done, but enough of the building was finished to allow it to hold its first public event, “a Christmas festival and Oyster Supper.”

Over the ensuing decades, upgrades and repairs to the building were made as time and money allowed, but there were also extended periods when the building saw little use, most notably from 1932 to 1950 and again from 1956 to 1975. But in 1984, after yet another period of inactivity for the building, five local residents — Carol Hedden, Mark Hedden, Martha (“Marti”) Gross, Lawrence (“Larry”) Gross, and Doris (“Dodi”) Thompson — banded together to preserve the structure. Through their efforts, the Vienna Union Hall Association incorporated as a nonprofit organization on November 28 of that year.

As the Association’s current president, Alan Williams, puts it, “Forty plus years ago five Vienna residents had a ‘vision’ of making the Vienna Union Hall a place for a variety of events. Without their dreams, dedication and hard work the Hall would still be a run-down old building!”

As with any older building, there is always something that needs repair. Last year, for example, while the hall was being painted, rot was found in the eaves. The rot will be taken care of this fall. Williams also hopes that by next year, the Association will be able to complete “an addition on the back of the building which will include an entryway to a ‘green’ room and a dressing room for entertainers along with a storage space!” He further aspires to install a septic system and drill a well — the hall doesn’t have running water — and build a kitchen and bathrooms.

While the hall lacks indoor plumbing, it nonetheless boasts a spiffy biffy, i.e. a handicapped-accessible outhouse with a composting commode. This heated and lighted “toilet house” was put into service in July 2016, replacing a more primitive privy behind the hall. Inside the hall, on the wall next to the exit door leading to the toilet house is a laminated plaque listing individuals, families, and organizations who contributed $50 or more toward its construction.

The Vienna Union Hall Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Upkeep and renovations are funded mostly by donations and an occasional grant. “Ticket sales,” Williams notes, “provide [only] a small part of our operating monies!” Donations are always welcome and are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.viennaunionhall.org or call 293‑4321.

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