Euterpe is the name of the Greek Muse of Music.
According to the Disciples of Christ Church records, the original church on this property was built of wood in 1851. The Baptist congregation consisted of many prominent Mill owners and once lay claim to a visit from the future President James Garfield. Garfield was said to have been campaigning at the old Opera House and walked out of town into Clarksville to attend church here.
As the congregation grew, the need for a larger church became apparent. The women of the church raised enough money to build a new brick structure on the same property. The old wood structure was sold, moved to the east adjacent lot and used for years as a private home until it burned sometime around 2009.
The new structure was designed by Mervale Dalton Makepeace, a Cornell graduate and practicing Architect in the city of Syracuse. M.D. Makepeace obtained his advanced degree in Civil Engineering from the Cornell School of Arclitecture in 1890, so it is the assumption that this
was his first commission. He later went on to build several Syracuse schools and the Syracuse Fire Station on Wolf St.
In 1967 the church congregation merged with another and moved to Metcalf Ave where it remains today. The North Division St. brick structure was sold twice, abandoned and vandalized. In 2000 the City of Auburn placed the property for public bid. The current owners won this bid, and after many years of renovation, Euterpe Hall is ready to provide a cozy, elegant experience for weddings, parties and other social events. The building is certainly a labor of love and it shows!
Why is the building now called “Euterpe Hall”?
In the early 1970’s, a clay plaque inscribed with “Euterpe” was given to one of the current owners of this property. The plaque is assumed to have come from the music room of the old N. Division St School. The school on this lot was demolished in the late 60’s.
