I was told yesterday that the Paul Kelly farm is now up for sale. I'm not surprised. The elephant barn had already had the roof collapse in it. You and I both know that a bulldozer will clean the place out one of these days. Certainly the oldest winter quarters still standing is the Ringling facilities in Baraboo, then the Cole Bros. Circus winter quarters in Deland which dates back to the 1920's or earlier when Johnny J. Jones had it. There's the remaining structures at the International Hall of Fame which were the American Circus Corporation winter quarters and there are two remaining buildings in York, SC of the old Barnett Bros. Circus. The ring barn still stands in Macon, Ga. that was part of the Sparks winter quarters and later used by Floyd King and Company.
Does anyone know if the Sig Sautelle building still stands or any of the Hunt Bros. buildings? When were the first Kelly-Miller buildings erected and do they still exist?
The Paul Kelly farm would be the only other winter quarters remaining from the 1940's.
2 comments:
I haven't been down that way in a while, but the Christy home and gate posts for the WQ are still there in South Houston. I think the large building that was leased to Gulf States Asphalt was torn down a number of years ago that was one of the last large WQ buildings still standing. Gulf States Asphalt has had the southern part of the WQ site since after WWII.
The one building left of Sig's is at 161 US-11 in Homer NY. When I googled the address it came back as "Antiques at the circus house" and is also listed as "Village Lamp Shop"
A couple of years ago, one of the cable channels did a story about the home in Homer of Sig's.
Is the John Robinson home still standing in Ohio? Any of the barns still standing?
Plus, there is the West Baden winter quarters were a barn is still standing from photos that I have seen.
p.j.
I believe all the buildings are cleared from the Hunt property. A fast food joint is now there but only an historic marker to tell that the circus was once there.
Bob Momyer
Post a Comment