{"nrhp_refnum":"12000323","name":"Riverside Park Bandshell","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"22nd & Commercial Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Murphysboro","county":"Jackson County","state":"IL","lat":37.75793700000003,"lon":-89.35761199999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-06-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A white poured-concrete, semicircular acoustical band shell in Riverside Park, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois, built in 1939 with the WPA and the Murphysboro Park District, designed by architect Randolph Zerse Gill.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is locally significant under Criterion A for Entertainment/Recreation as an example of the community entertainment and band movement, linked to the WPA. It has been the focal point of the annual 4th of July celebration and many music events. It was described as the first structure of its kind in Illinois and the sixth in the United States.","narrative":"Set in a grassy dell in Riverside Park, this white poured-concrete band shell faces a natural lawn amphitheater in Murphysboro, Illinois. Completed in 1939 and designed by architect Randolph Zerse Gill, it was built through a joint effort of the Works Progress Administration and the Murphysboro Park District at a cost of forty thousand dollars. The unornamented, curved Modern design reflects sound toward the audience, with a one-level performance side and a two-floor backstage side holding dressing rooms and restrooms. The nomination describes it as the first shell of its kind in Illinois and the sixth in the United States. It anchors the park's 4th of July celebration, which drew an estimated 45,000 people in 1939, and hosts jazz, blues, bluegrass and other festivals. Restoration in 1994 repaired concrete surfaces, the stage floor, roofing and sidewalks while keeping the original character. It is listed locally for its role in community entertainment and recreation.","period_of_significance":"1939 - 1962","architect_builder":"Gill, Randolph Zerse","architectural_style":"Modern","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still used for concerts, festivals and the annual 4th of July celebration; interior restoration completed in 1994 and structure described as virtually unchanged since 1939.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.20169-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/27/8930/28893027/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/12000323.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000323/4518cc0f43-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000323/4518cc0f43-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Park_Bandshell,_Murphysboro.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Park_Bandshell,_Murphysboro.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893027","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Park_Bandshell","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16899343"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/jackson-county/riverside-park-bandshell-12000323/"}