A benefit concert to help fund a new roof for a historic near century-old Salina landmark was a success. A “Raise the Roof” at the Temple benefit concert was held Saturday night.
The Temple, Salina Innovation Foundation is a 501(c)3 whose mission is to save and preserve the historic Temple building for use as a community resource center. The roof on this landmark is leaking, and causing damage to the historic interior.
The third floor grand theatre contains a collection of over 100 rare hand painted backdrops from the early 1900s. These backdrops hang directly under the portion of the roof that is ponding. Water is dripping on either side of the backdrops.
“If these drops become wet, they will be damaged and lost for our community. Details of historic plaster molding and oak woodwork are becoming damaged as well.” said Mary Landes, Executive Director. “It is critical to start at the top, sealing the building so repairs and restoration can begin, and further damage can be stopped.”
The Temple currently is a venue for weddings, banquets, conferences, corporate parties, special community programs, a veterans networking center, a fully equipped co-working space, and has 15
co-working entrepreneurs who operate a variety of businesses, services, and art and music studios.
The temple is 7 floors, 160,000 square feet with historic marble and oak details from the 1920s. The Temple is on the National Historic Register.
The Temple was completed in 1927, with John Philips Sousa playing in the historic theatre for the dedication. It served as a USO show location in the 1940s, entertaining thousands of soldiers during WWII.
Saturday night the band Lost Wax out of Kansas City played on that same stage Sousa did. The party band, who was named best in Kansas City, performed in Salina previously at the most recent Smoky Hill River Festival. They did not disappoint Saturday night, as the crowd in attendance danced to to the mix of party hits Lost Wax performed.
Prior to the concert Landes announced to a group of sponsors that the event had raised enough funds to replace the roof. She anticipates work beginning within about a month.
