Legend of the Keystone Turner Hall
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The Turner Hall offers a banquet room that can seat 450 people, great for wedding receptions, anniversaries, dances, appreciation dinners, large banquets, etc. The Hall also offers a smaller room, Red Room, that works great for meetings, luncheons, birthday parties, smaller banquets, etc. The Turner Hall boasts a six lane bowling alley with many leagues throughout the year. Finally, they have a bar and grill serving a variety of beers and cocktails and kitchen making various sandwiches, salads, wraps, and appetizers. The kitchen is also equipped to cater the largest to the smallest events with a wide selection of cuisine to choose from.
The Keystone Turner Hall hosts numerous events throughout the year. They have their Testicle Festival in March, egg hunt for Easter, Children’s Day in June, golf outing in July, BBQ Roundup in August, costume contest on Halloween, Christmas drawing on the first Saturday in December, and many prime rib/shrimp/chicken dinners throughout the year. Call the Turner Hall to order a meal or ask about an event at 442-3212. |
American TurnersThe American Turners is a national organization founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1848 by German immigrants. The motto, "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body", explains the purpose of the American Turners.
More information can be found at http://www.americanturners.com/. |
Keystone Turner Hall BoardThe Keystone Turner Hall is owned and operated by its members. The Keystone Turner Hall Board of Directors oversees and supports the activity within the organization.
All adult men and women are welcome to join the Keystone Turners. Call the Turner Hall to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member. |
TurnerettesTurnerettes is the women’s group that meets at the Turner Hall on the third Monday of each month. The group hosts many of the activities and events for youth at the Turner Hall. Contact the Turner Hall to join!
Kids’ Day has been around so long, it gets its own line item! Kids’ Day is a Keystone Turners tradition that has been going on for more than 100 years. Kids’ Day is held on the first weekend in June at the Turner Hall. It includes games and activities for kids, a bird shoot, a crock hitting contest, a children’s parade, and the Kids’ Day Dance. The Turnerettes support this event by organizing the activities and volunteering throughout the day. |
Keystone Turner Hall HistoryThe Keystone Turnverein (Turners) was founded December 21, 1892 as a society of the American Turners with the motto, “A sound mind in a sound body.”
There was originally 60 members and the rules were written in German but later changed to English because the younger members could not read German. The first Hall was heated by coal pot belly stoves. In 1940, the Hall was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. A new building was built for $16,000. In 1954, a four-lane bowling alley was added. Gymnastics was taught from 1898 until the 1940s and many awards were won for gymnastics excellence. Since 1904, the German custom of “Vogelschissen” (bird shoot) has been held the on first Saturday in June. Youth register to hit the crock while blindfolded (girls) and shoot a wooden bird from a pole (boys). The winners get crowned "King and Queen" and lead a parade through town. Along with games and rides, free pop and hot dogs are provided to youth. There is a dance for children in the evening. In the past, it was a big deal for children to get two new outfits for Kids' Day. They would wear one during the day and one during the dance. The wives of the Turner members formed a Ladies Auxiliary in 1929. They helped with the annual bird shoot activities. They also assisted the Turners with card parties. Eventually, the group died out (literally) and was replaced in 1975 by a younger group of women, Turnerettes. This group took over the auxiliary duties and helped the Turners with many other events. In May 2006, another devastating fire burned the Hall to the ground. Amazingly, with the help of Turner members and community volunteers, a temporary Hall was up and running within two days in a nearby empty agriculture building. A community survey showed an overwhelming response in favor of rebuilding. It was decided to build on the original site. In June 2007, the new and present building was opened to the public. The current facility is 17,500 square feet, has a six lane bowling alley, a 2000 square foot bar room, a reception hall with dance floor, a smaller banquet room, and a large kitchen. Membership is now at 300, which includes many who have been members for 40 years or more. The Keystone Turner Hall is a vital and active part of the community of Keystone. |
