1. The Great Auditorium Page 1 of 4 Written by: Bonnie Graham
THE GREAT AUDITORIUM
Brief History:
 Ocean Grove’s Great Auditorium was constructed in 1894 in 92 days at a cost of slightly over
$69.000. The Auditorium was opened on July 1, 1894 and dedicated during August 9-12, 1894.
The cornerstone was laid on August 30, 1894.
 It is the fourth auditorium to be constructed in Ocean Grove. It replaced the first three buildings,
which could not accommodate the increasingly large congregations and audiences who attended
the Sunday worship services and concerts.
 The Auditorium is a steel building that gets its strength from arches and cables. Directly under
the steel roof are the seven 160 feet wide trusses – the rafters and struts that support the roof.
 The roof is composed of riveted steel and gin poles.
 The steeple is a natural ventilator system.
 Originally, the present Great Auditorium seated 10,000. Its seating capacity exceeded that of
Radio City Music Hall.
 Some of the wood was removed in 1905/1907, to accommodate the installation of the Hope-
Jones organ. At that time, the Hope-Jones organ was known as the “largest organ in the world.”
 The Hope-Jones organ presently has 189 ranks and 11,500 pipes.
 The electronic American flag was installed in the choir loft during the World War I years. It is “lit”
for patriotic concerts, and for performances of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and “The Battle
Hymn of the Republic.”
 Renovations were made to the stage, altar, and choir loft during the following decades.
 The Auditorium’s heavy iron roof and its corrugated roof were damaged during the Hurricane of
1944.
 Among the 1963 renovations were the installation of theatre chairs into the first floor middle and
side sections. Some of the benches that were replaced were moved to Auditorium Square.
 The exterior cross, which sits at the eastern side of the Great Auditorium, and can be seen for
miles out to sea when it is lit at night, was removed in the late 1970’s for the filming of Woody
Allen’s motion picture, “Stardust Memories.” The cross was damaged during its removal for the
movie shoot, and Allen paid for the repairs.
 In 1979 the “Design for Destiny” campaign was launched to raise funds for necessary repairs and
renovations to the Great Auditorium.
 In 1988/1989 the Auditorium’s roof was upgraded to stainless steel zinc.
 In 1999 the Auditorium’s choir loft was completely rebuilt and renovated. This project was paid
entirely by the volunteer refreshment workers who sell soft drinks and light refreshments at the
Saturday night concerts and other programs held in the Great Auditorium and surrounding area
during the summer.
 Prior to the 2008 season, an antiphonal (“echo”) organ was installed in the western balcony area,
directly across from the Hope-Jones organ.
 Acoustically speaking, the Great Auditorium is “the best”, although amplification equipment is
used at the Sunday services, concerts, and other programs.
 Visually, the Auditorium’s interior ceiling resembles an inverted violin.

2. The Great Auditorium Page 2 of 4 Written by: Bonnie Graham
Services, Concerts, Events, etc.:
 The Great Auditorium has been visited, and the congregations/audiences addressed by a
number of United States Presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, James A. Garfield, William
McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Richard Nixon.
 The annual Police Memorial Service, held in the Great Auditorium in May, honors the members
of the New Jersey State Police who lost their lives in the line of duty. The Governor of New
Jersey is among the elected officials who attend this service and address the audience.
 Many well-known preachers and speakers have appeared in the Great Auditorium, including Billy
Graham, Billy Sunday, Norman Vincent Peale, Anne Graham Lotz, Will Graham, Tony Campolo,
Fanny Crosby, Dwight Moody, George Beverly Shea, Dr. Joyce Brothers, and Art Linkletter.
 During the summer worship season – the second Sunday in June to the second Sunday in
September – ecumenical religious services are held in the Great Auditorium. Services are held at
10:30 am and at 7:00 pm, with the exception of the first and last Sundays, for which only the
10:30 am service is held.
 The Great Auditorium has been the site for performances by such notables as Enrico Caruso,
John Philip Sousa, Marion Anderson, Pearl Bailey, Fred Waring and the Young Pennsylvanians,
The Beach Boys, Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Lettermen, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Tony Bennett,
Abba, Pat Boone, Bob Hope, Al Hirt, Virgil Fox, and Shirley Jones.
 The Great Auditorium houses the massive Hope-Jones pipe organ, which has consistently been
renovated and enlarged since its installation in 1905. Bi-weekly organ concerts are presented
during July and August. Resident organist/recitalist Dr. Gordon Turk, and guest organists,
including Michael Stairs, perform these concerts.
 The “Summer Stars” classical music series is presented in the Great Auditorium in July and early
August. The series features vocal and instrumental artists.
 The annual Choir Festival, held the second Sunday in July, features an 800-voice massed choir
from neighboring communities and states, guest conductors, musicians, and an overflow
audience.
 The 1985 Choir Festival was filmed by Public Television Channel 13. An hour-long special was
broadcast later that summer.
 A service celebrating the placement of the Great Auditorium’s cornerstone was held during the
summer of 1994. The contents of the cornerstone were carefully opened and perused by Dr.
George Fey Stoll, who was instrumental in leading the “Design for Destiny” campaign to raise
funds to renovate this building. New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whiteman addressed the
audience.
 An extremely moving service was held in the Great Auditorium the evening of September 11,
2011 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center,
the Pentagon, and Flight 95, which crashed in Pennsylvania. Several thousand attended the
service, along with police, government officials, and individuals who were involved with the
rescue efforts that were immediately undertaken in New York City.
 The inaugural Ocean Grove Music Festival will be held in the Great Auditorium this summer.

3. The Great Auditorium Page 3 of 4 Written by: Bonnie Graham
Super Storm Sandy - Destruction and Recovery:
 Super storm Sandy struck the Great Auditorium the night of Monday, October 29, 2012, from a
westerly direction.
 In the aftermath of Sandy --
o About one-third of the roof and framing on the north side were blown off.
o All of the roof and framing were blown off on the west side.
o Above five percent of the roof peeled back, i.e., flopped backwards onto the roof, on
the south side.
 The detached portion of the northern roof landed on the roofing at the western part of the
northern section. A number of support seams were flattened. There is the potential that the
seam metal roof material was compromised.
 The Auditorium walls “pan caked” on the north side – meaning the walls shifted inward along
that side of the building. The largest inward movement was about one inch, and this negatively
affected the operation of all sliding doors on the north side.
 There does not appear to be any Sandy-inflicted damage to the iron trusses and other structures,
located directly under the ceiling, that support the Auditorium roof.
 The aluminum roof shingles on the Auditorium’s west tower were displaced by the storm. Most
of these have been replaced.
 Had super storm Sandy continued at its intensity and remained stationery in this area, more
damage would have been inflicted upon the Auditorium. A combination of the roof’s structure
and the storm’s passing by saved the roof from total destruction.
 The 1,100-light electrical system received some minor damage.
 When the north side of the roof was partially blown off, a section of the branch line of the
building’s fire sprinkler system was also removed. The Auditorium ceiling’s fire sprinkler system
includes a series of fire sprinkler covers, called Escutcheon plates. During the storm, one of the
Escutcheon plates was pulled back, leaving a hole the size of a basketball in the ceiling. Roof
leaking continues to be an ongoing issue.
 The Auditorium’s fire suppression system is a “dry” system – air leaks, and not water leaks,
resulted from the storm. The fire suppression system’s pipes are filled with pressurized air until
a fire occurs. Repairs will be done in concert with the ceiling repairs. Despite the damage
inflicted by Sandy, the Auditorium’s fire suppression system remains fully functional, and the
building is safe.
 The Auditorium’s sliding doors have been repaired to the point of being functional; however,
repairs are not completed as of yet. This is an ongoing issue.
 The choir loft was not damaged by Sandy.
 The organ was not damaged by the storm. Organ curator John Shaw recommends follow up with
Bill Bailey for further details.
 The western balcony’s antiphonal organ was not damaged.
 The downstairs and balcony seats were not damaged by Sandy; however the seats continue to be
impacted by ceiling leaks.
 The outside balcony stair handrails on the south side were completely blown off. On the north
side, roof debris and fallen trees damaged the outside balcony stair railings and steps. These
repairs have been completed.

4. The Great Auditorium Page 4 of 4 Written by: Bonnie Graham
 The Auditorium’s balcony and main floor carpeting was not immediately damaged by the storm;
however, the carpeting continues to be impacted by ceiling leaks.
 The Auditorium’s bathrooms, offices, and storage areas, and all other areas in front of the
building were undamaged.
 The Auditorium’s flag hoist was repaired the week of June 10, due to an ongoing leak issue.
 The Auditorium’s framing details, when completed, will include hurricane clips.
 Repair work has been suspended for the summer, to ensure the safety of everyone who
attends services, concerts, resides in the area, and/or walks by the Auditorium. When work is
resumed in the fall of 2013, it will be done in stages. Most of the work can only be done by
professionals. Volunteers could paint the handrails along the north and south balcony stairwells.
 $1 million is a low estimate for the Auditorium repairs, as any changes/repairs can potentially
affect other areas of the building. The Camp Meeting Association’s insurance policy includes a
$100,000 deductible, which is one of the components of the “Together” campaign.
 Help came right away after super storm Sandy. Former Auditorium Head Usher William
Ryerson’s son got on the phone immediately to reserve the heavy equipment that was put into
place outside of the Auditorium’s north end roof, just a few days after the storm.
 The Auditorium’s roof was sealed with zinc-coated stainless steel. This is a temporary covering.
The roof’s permanent covering will be put into place following the 2013 summer season.
 The Ocean Grove community came “together” after Sandy. Two weekends after the storm, over
700 people showed up to help clear up the debris. There were no incidents of injuries – just a
total willingness to lend a hand to the cleanup effort. Many young people participated, and they
did so without expectations of being thanked.
 Structural engineers and architects assured that the Great Auditorium was safe for staging the
annual Nativity pageant, which included a large cast of young people and was well attended.
“Together” Capital Campaign:
 The “Together” capital campaign was formed, with the endorsement of the Ocean Grove Camp
Meeting Association, to raise $1.5 million to finance the expense of repairing the Ocean Grove
boardwalk and Great Auditorium from super storm Sandy damages, and to restore the 125-year-
old Thornley Chapel.
 Representatives from all Ocean Grove organizations - including the Ocean Grove Home Owners
Association, the Ocean Grove Beautification Committee, Ocean Grove United, the Ocean Grove
Auditorium Ushers, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Ocean Grove Auditorium Ushers, the Historical
Society of Ocean Grove, the Ocean Grove Auditorium Choir, and the Ocean Grove Refreshment
Committee – are working “together” on this effort.
 As of April 1, 2013, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has spent nearly $250,000 on
emergency Sandy-related repairs.