Originally built by the Onset Bay Grove Association, the Lillian Gregerman bandshell and its “Victorian charm” has been a community focal point since the late 1800s.

In October, Town Meeting voters approved spending $333,000 in Community Preservation Funds to replace the bandshell so it can keep drawing crowds in the coming years. 

A group of businessmen and spiritualists built the bandshell shortly after purchasing Onset in 1877, then known as Pine Point, from the Massachusetts State Legislature. Their goal was to create a spiritual summer camp program, and the bandshell quickly became a key element in their success.

Attached to the association’s headquarters, the bandshell hosted a variety of events such as seances and Sunday concerts, which attracted believers and tourists alike. The association would also host its annual meetings at the bandshell, eventually naming the structure after Lillian Gregerman, a member who organized and directed the venue for many years.

In 1997, the association would host a Victorian gala to celebrate Onset’s 100th anniversary with the bandshell once again taking center stage. Residents attended concerts at the structure in Victorian garb while children enjoyed activities such as maypole dancing.

These days, the bandshell hosts events ranging in scale from free movie nights to festivals with crowds routinely numbering in the tens of thousands.

Groups and organizations such as the Onset Bay Association, Cape Verdean Festival Association and the Wareham Boys & Girls club all make routine use of the space, maintaining its status as a summertime destination for tourists and townies.

Each year, the Community Preservation Committee awards money to projects through the Community Preservation Act in four categories: open space, historic preservation, affordable housing and recreation. The money is raised through a 3 percent surcharge on property tax bills. Spending these funds, such as the ones given to the bandshell, must be approved by voters at Town Meeting.

“Events at the bandshell make our community a better place to live,” said Onset Bay Association Executive Director Kat Jones. “But it’s gotten to the point that band aid repairs no longer work.”

The last series of major improvements carried out on the bandshell took place in 1995 when the Onset Bay Association received a $400,000 grant to improve the village’s downtown. 

This money was funded through the state Executive Office of Communities Development and was used to refurbish the bandshell and improve its handicapped accessibility.

New plans for the bandshell will restore its existing benches and create additional seating for up to 200 people.

Brick stairwells will be built between aisles to prevent further erosion along the hillside when it rains. New audio equipment, lighting and handicap accessible areas would also be added to the bandshell.

Jones noted that the Community Preservation Funds used to renovate the bandshell would be used to match a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council with all unused monies returning to the town. The Onset Bay Association plans to host additional fundraisers for the project as well such as a buy-a-brick campaign.