W. D. Packard Music Hall All
programs take place at W. D. Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave. NW,
Warren, OH 44483. To get directions to W. D. Packard Music Hall click here.
All programs begin at 10:30 a.m. with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. Refreshments of baked goods, coffee and tea are available for purchase before each program.
William Doud Packard (1861-1923), a prominent industrialist, found a way
to mesh pride in his hometown and a love of military marches into a
lasting contribution for future generations.
W. D. Packard penned provisions in his 1920 will to ensure music would
continue to command attention in Warren, Ohio. His wealth was fueled by
the Packard Automotive Company and the Packard Motor Car Company, businesses
he and his brother, James Ward Packard, founded in the 1890s.
Funds were allocated from a trust to build a music hall, while the
remainder was to be used to establish and maintain a band to perform in
it. The city of Warren became the beneficiary after Kathryn Packard, W. D.
Packard’s wife, died in 1940.
Delayed by World War II, construction began in November 1953 in the
42-acre Packard Park. The Packard family donated land for the park in
1911. The hall was dedicated on October 15, 1955. Thanks to W. D. Packard’s
generosity and vision to plan for future generations, the city of Warren
is fortunate to possess a versatile public assembly facility that houses a
professional resident band.
