Turner Hall has served as a historic centerpiece in the City of Fredericksburg for 145 years. Built in 1871, the hall has been home to many events, dances, and gatherings. Turner Hall started as a turnverein (German), or put simply, an athletic club. It gave people a place to socialize and practice gymnastics and 9-pin bowling, and at one point, it was even home to a volunteer fire department. The hall was later turned into a dance hall and wedding venue. In fact, there was a wedding held at Tuner Hall on Saturday, June 18, 2016, the night prior to a massive fire that destroyed the beloved historic building.
On Sunday, June 19, 2016 at around 10:30 p.m., firefighters began fighting a fire that had completely engulfed Turner Hall. The team of firefighters were finally able to quell the fire shortly after midnight, but continued to put out hot-spots until close to 5 a.m. No criminal activity is suspected, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The building itself was completely destroyed, rendering down to nothing but a pile of ash and soot. Sadly, the “best dance hall in Gillespie County” is no more.
Ken Esten Cooke of the Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post shot this video of the fire at Turner Hall while it was as the fire claimed the hall’s last moments. The video was posted to YouTube by fbg News.
