The Tuscora Park Amphitheater

For generations, Tuscora Park has been a gathering place for the New Philadelphia community — a place for families, celebrations, recreation and memories. Among its familiar features is the hillside amphitheater, a structure whose history stretches back to the 1930s.

By the mid-1990s, time and vandalism had taken their toll on the aging facility. What began as an effort by the New Philadelphia Rotary Club to make temporary repairs would ultimately lead to a complete renovation and another lasting chapter in the club's long relationship with Tuscora Park.

Rolling Up Our Sleeves

In May 1995, New Philadelphia Rotarians began meeting at the park for a series of work sessions to make temporary repairs to the amphitheater.

Approximately 24 rows of broken and splintered wooden seating needed to be replaced. A crew of 16 people took on the task, removing the old benches and cutting and bolting new boards onto the existing concrete pillars.

More than a few of those pillars had to be dug up and reset so the new seating could be made level. Over the course of three days, volunteers replaced approximately 1,500 feet of seating, using nearly 400 bolts to secure the boards to pillars that dated back to the original 1930s installation.

Although Rotarians hoped the temporary benches would only need to serve the community for another year or two, they took care to protect their work by applying a wood stain and preservative.

More Than New Seats

The work extended throughout the amphitheater.

Inside the stage shell, vandals had damaged the wooden walls. Four gallons of paint were used to refresh the interior, with Rotarians Ed and Taffy Limbaugh heading the painting crew. An electrical contractor also donated time and materials to install new electrical outlets around the floor.

Outside, volunteers constructed a 40-foot-long flower planter in front of the seating area. Rotarian Dee Grossman operated the drill used to bolt the heavy timbers together. Materials for the planter and replacement seating were donated by the City Park Board.

Stone planters throughout the hillside amphitheater were also reset and filled with fresh soil. Photographs from the project show younger generations pitching in alongside club members throughout this first phase of the work.

The final evening of the 1995 project was spent landscaping the grounds. Hundreds of annuals were planted along with 15 dogwood and pine trees near the rear of the stage. Rotarian Brennen Endres provided the flowers and guided club members through the planting.

A Complete Renovation Begins

The 1995 work helped extend the life of the amphitheater while plans developed for a much larger project.

In July 1997, the complete renovation began.

The hillside seating was removed, the stage area expanded, asphalt installed throughout the seating area and new concrete walkways constructed along both sides. Demolition and construction continued through the late fall.

Rotary members worked closely with Dave Zeller of MKC Architects and Ron Gundy of Benchmark Construction throughout the project.

Improvements were also made behind the scenes. Interior storage areas were rebuilt and secured with steel doors and frames, with an emphasis on making the facility as maintenance-free and resistant to vandalism as possible.

Crews repaired the approximately 60-year-old brickwork at the rear of the stage, covered the old windows with cedar and reroofed the structure. The evergreens and dogwoods planted by Rotary members during the 1995 work sessions were preserved throughout construction.

Ready for a New Generation

By early 1998, construction was complete.

The renovated amphitheater was designed to complement the existing character of Tuscora Park, including vintage-style lights and posts.

By spring, new stage lighting and sound systems were installed. Four 1,000-watt stage lights were positioned on two towers on either side of the seating area, while speakers were mounted on both sides of the stage.

The aging amphitheater was once again ready to welcome performers, audiences and community gatherings.

A Lasting Rotary Legacy

When the amphitheater renovation was first proposed in 1994, the projected cost was $141,200. But the story of the project is about much more than its price tag.

It is a story of volunteers willing to give their time, community partners willing to contribute their expertise and resources, and a Rotary Club committed to preserving an important part of Tuscora Park.

The amphitheater also stands among the many ways New Philadelphia Rotary has helped shape the park over the years, alongside familiar attractions including the antique carousel, miniature golf course, Rotary railroad, kiddie rides and batting cages.

Today, the photographs preserved from the project offer a glimpse behind the finished amphitheater. They show the people who drilled the bolts, painted the walls, planted the flowers, reset the stonework and helped transform an aging facility into a gathering place that could continue serving the community.

What began with Rotarians meeting at the park in May 1995 to replace broken wooden benches became something much bigger: an investment in Tuscora Park and the generations who would enjoy it for years to come.