The History of the Florida Chautauqua Center
 Yesterday
The original Florida Chautauqua opened on February 10, 1885
in DeFuniak Springs, Florida after many months of planning,
fundraising, and construction. The format for the first 5-day
Assembly emphasized religious training and educational activities
in such areas as philosophy, theology, art, music, elocution,
and cookery. Concerts, impersonations, lectures, travelogues,
and stereopticon slide shows also provided imaginative and
educational entertainment. Visitors to the 1886 Assembly could
hear lectures on Rome and Hannibal, Marius and Sulla, Julius
Caesar, Cicero’s writings and Virgil. They could also
attend Dr. Marcus Hatfield’s lectures on health entitled
"Care of The House We Live In," and listen to other
speakers on such diverse topics as astronomy, Scotland, Greece,
Florence, Switzerland, and Love and Marriage. Musical entertainment
that year was provided by the Rogers Goshen Band from Goshen,
Indiana and supplemented by the Chautauqua Chorus performing
evening concerts on the Lake.
In 1887, the Assembly was expanded from 5 days to 6 weeks,
and in the ensuing years it became bigger, longer, and busier,
while the little town of DeFuniak Springs grew right along
with it. By 1897, the program featured numerous entertainment
acts, and in 1899, the first moving pictures were shown. In
1917, Assembly attendees were astonished to see the moving
picture "Civilization" on a big screen, and their
interest in the new medium signaled that the end of the Chautauqua
era wasn’t very far away. In addition to moving pictures,
newspapers, telephones, and magazines, radio was also bringing
news of the world to almost every home in America. The writing
was on the wall, and in 1920, the Florida Chautauqua, then
in its 36th season, would end its long and successful run
in DeFuniak Springs.
Today
The people of DeFuniak Springs have never forgotten their
Chautauqua heritage and are proud of the role their community
played during the Chautauqua era. Recognizing the value of
their heritage they successfully raised funds to restore the
original Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood in 1975 and, later
renovated the old movie theatre on Main Street, naming it
The Florida Chautauqua Theatre. After restoration of the Chautauqua
Hall of Brotherhood was completed, the townsfolk hosted a
festival consisting of recreational activities and a beauty
pageant, but it wasn’t until the return of Ms. Diane
Pickett in the early 1980s, that DeFuniak Springs finally
experienced the re-birth of the original Chautauqua.
The Florida Chautauqua Assembly was officially brought back
to life by Ms. Pickett on February 10, 1996, after a hiatus
of more than 75 years. Much like the original Assembly, the
lecture topics for the current Assembly include history, health,
art, and current events, to name a few, along with entertainment
from performers across the country. Special evening vespers
are also held on the Lake in much the same way they were more
than 100 years ago. It is Ms. Pickett’s goal to return
the Florida Chautauqua to its original 9-week program, drawing
attendees from throughout the entire US. Given her success
thus far, it appears that her goals are both realistic and
achievable.
The Florida Chautauqua Assembly and its related events are
presented under the auspices of the Florida Chautauqua Center,
Inc., a 501(c)(3) Florida-based corporation established
in July 1993 for the sole purpose of reviving, promoting,
and sustaining the original Florida Chautauqua. |
