Hearing music from the village green on a summer’s night is a quintessential Lemont experience. Music has always had a place in Lemont’s history dating back nearly 150 years. At the turn of the 20th Century, a specific band echoed off Mount Nittany and marched through the valley and beyond.
During this time, it was common for towns and villages to have their own brass bands. In Centre County alone, towns like Zion, Rebersburg, Coleville, Blanchard and many others supported their own hometown groups. However, when reading old newspaper articles and history books, one gets the sense that the Lemont Young American Band was something special.
Staple songs included marches by John Philip Sousa and Carl King. In the College Township centennial book, Kenneth Mayes wrote that the band opened most shows with a march titled “Headway.”
The group formed and chartered between 1878 and 1879. Instruments included cornets, a bass drum, a snare drum and cymbals
The Lemont Band performed fairs, festivals, picnics, reunions, memorials and parades in boroughs and villages in Centre and neighboring counties. According to an 1881 newspaper article, the Lemont Young American Band had “no superior in the county” and those who attend their concerts were “excellently entertained.”
They weren’t world tours, but the musicians covered a lot of ground and made quite a name for themselves. They regularly performed at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall and took home the Fair’s “best band” award in 1929 – beating out Howard, Milesburg and Bellefonte.
They also won first place prizes at both the Huntingdon and Clearfield County Fairs. On July 12, 1931, the group played Hecla Park in Mingoville. Admission was 25 cents. They performed on the Penn State campus during Spring Break and the 4th of July parade in State College.
The Philadelphia Times in 1900 reported that the Lemont band, along with many other area groups, participated in Centre County’s centennial parade in Bellefonte. The parade line was two miles long and, despite heavy rains, more than 25,000 people reportedly attended the parade.
Closer to home, they were regular headliners for Memorial Day festivities in Boalsburg. They played festivals to raise funds for church groups, ball teams and other local organizations throughout the county. The band raised money for music, uniforms and traveling expenses by holding its own festivals and chicken-and-waffle dinners here in Lemont. Staple songs included marches by John Philip Sousa and Carl King. In the College Township centennial book, Kenneth Mayes wrote that the band opened most shows with a march titled “Headway.”
For many years, the group used the Lemont schoolhouse as a practice facility. One of my favorite bits of Lemont history: The band members moved the State College YMCA “hut” building from the rear of Old Main to the center of Lemont on Pike Street. The building was built in 1918 and moved to Lemont in 1931 where it became the band hall. That building continues to be a hub of local arts today. It’s the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania.
There was a bandstand next door to where the hut would be placed. For a time, that location became the Lemont Post Office – roughly where the Gallery Shop is located. The band performed concerts there, as well as festivals near the train station. Performances were often must-see summer entertainment. Attendees would enjoy ice cream, hot dogs and cakes while listening to the Lemont Band on Saturday nights.
The band was at its peak in the mid 1930s. Fifty to 60 amateur musicians gathered on Monday nights in the band hall. A 1931 Centre Reporter article praised the bands longevity as one of the oldest musical organizations in the county.
Involvement was not restricted to Lemont residents. In fact, so many people were involved over time that, according to a 1969 Town & Gown, membership became a “Who’s Who of Centre County.” I say it was likely due to the group’s popularity and talent.
The group performed for nearly 70 years. For its 60th anniversary, two of its oldest members led the group in playing some of the band’s original marches at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall.
By the late 1940s, interest in the band had waned and it disbanded. After World War II, the band had a short-lived revival and another in 1954, but the remaining members soon called it quits after that. Several reasons were allegedly to blame: Everyone wanted to watch television, people got too busy, young people weren’t interested. By the late 1960s, the band still owned the band hall, but didn’t know what to do with it. Shortly after, it became the Art Alliance.
This summer, when you’re enjoying the concerts on the village green, think about the Lemont Young American Band. Enjoy being part of the fine musical tradition here at the end of the mountain.
This article was first published in the Spring 2022 Lemont Village Newsletter.
