Abigail Harding Lewis Auditorium

Making Memories

Community members, civic organizations, and non-profit and business leaders are invited to rent the Abigail Harding Lewis Auditorium.

From baby showers to class reunions, birthday parties to family gatherings, and board meetings to retreats, the Auditorium comfortably seats 125 and features round and rectangular tables to accommodate your specific needs – at no extra charge.

Surveys from past renters indicate they appreciate the “cleanliness, friendliness and affordability” when renting the Auditorium. When you rent with us, you’re helping a local nonprofit with ongoing expenses associated with preserving and protecting the historic Barlow Home.

Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, class reunion, board meeting or family gathering, the Abigail Harding Lewis Auditorium – named for President Warren G. Harding’s sister – can help you create lasting memories.

FIND RATES & FORMS HERE

Auditorium Features

Event space measuring 52' x 36', plus "common area" (approximately 25' x 13' between restrooms)

10 round tables, each seating 8 people comfortably

Nine rectangular 8' tables and five 6' long tables, each seating 8-10 people comfortably

75 silver Chiavari chairs and 50 cushioned chairs

Seat cushions for Chiavari chairs and white coverings for cushioned chairs (rentable for $1/each)

Staging kitchen with refrigerator/freezer, warming oven, coffee pots, prep space, serving window

Wheelchair accessible restroom w/baby changing table

Outdoor entrance ramp

Complementary WiFi

A/V projector and sound system (a la carte rental costs)

Look Inside

Our Auditorium is named in honor of Abigail "Daisy" Harding, sister of President Warren G Harding and wife of Ralph T. Lewis, who was a longtime Marion Women's Club Member.

The auditorium is home to "The Muses", a part of a full relief called "Ars Artium Omnium" or "Art of All Arts" that was displayed at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The first edition of the bas relief sculpture was created by Hermon Atkins MacNeil. MacNeil found the piece while sifting through relics in his New York City studio and gave it to the Marion Women's Club in 1933. He was a true friend of the club women as he would teach and instruct classes on the third floor of the Barlow home. The relief was loaned to the original Carniege Library of Marion as club women had no space in the home for the sculpture. The Auditorium was built in 1962 and the Marion Public Library returned the relief when the new Marion Public Library was buillt at its current location in 1979.

Many renters choose to use this backdrop as the "focal point" for their table layout/setup.