Big 4 Fair Art Hall

The Big 4 Fair Art Hall, also known as Hollenbeck Hall, is a historic building located in the Wapello County Fairgrounds in Eldon, Iowa, United States. The single-story brick structure was built in 1911, replacing an older building that had been destroyed in a fire. It is thought to be the oldest original brick building on a fairgrounds in the state.[2] The building has four wings that were devoted to the four Iowa counties in the Big 4 Fair Association, Wapello (north), Davis (west), Jefferson (east), and Van Buren (south). People from each county would display their produce, grain, and arts and crafts in their county's wing. During other times of the year, the building was used for meetings and entertainment. The building has been completely restored and is used for exhibits during the fair.

Big 4 Fair Art Hall
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Big 4 Fair Art Hall, aka Hollenbeck Hall Wapello County Fairgrounds, Eldon Iowa
Show map of Iowa Show map of the United States
Location	Water St. at the Wapello County Regional Fairgrounds, Eldon, Iowa
Coordinates	40°54′32.1″N 92°12′54.3″W
Built	1911
NRHP reference No.	95000621[1]
Added to NRHP	May 18, 1995

The Big 4 Fair was established in 1891 and folded in 1917. It was reorganized the following year as the Wapello County Agricultural Fair and has subsequently been renamed the Wapello County Regional Fair. The hall was named for Mabel Hollenbeck in 1984. She had served as the Art Hall Superintendent for 40 years.[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Shirley Acton. "NRHP Inventory-Nomination: Big 4 Fair Art Hall". National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-03-27. with photos