BOHEMIAN HALL

     The Czechoslovakian settlers built the first public hall in the Silverhill area in 1920.

Little Bohemian Hall under construction in 1920.

Anton Kulicka had donated one acre of land out of his farm property to the Cecho Slovak Farmers Association. This land was located four road miles southwest of the town of Silverhill.

     All of the families of that area helped to build the hall using lumber from the Heidelberg sawmill. It was built on the southwest corner of Bohemian Hall Road and White Road where County Road 48 ends.

Little Bohemian Hall in about 1922-23.

     It was initially known as the C.S.P.S. Hall (Czecho Slovakian Protective Society). The main purpose for the building was to be used as a schoolhouse and the community hall on the weekends and in the evenings.

In 1928, the Czech children began to ride a bus to join with the Swedish children in the new brick school in Silverhill. Dave Forsman had built the bus from an old truck. He was also the first Silverhill bus driver. After bringing the younger children to Silverhill, which was grades one through eight, he then carried high school students to Robertsdale.

First School Bus Silverhill 1928.

     The Little Hall continued to be used as a community center for meetings, dances, wedding receptions, and other social activities. It was also used to teach Czech language classes.

     In 1954, the Silverhill Church of Christ organized on January 10, and began meeting in the hall. They were leasing the building with plans to build a church of their own.

     In 1956, the Silverhill Farmers Club, the Czech Farmer Club, the Cecho Slovak Farmers Association, and the Home Demonstration Club merged together to form the Silverhill Farmers Community Club. The Cecho Slovak Farmers Association had owned the hall, which was transfered by deed to the Silverhill Farmers Community Club.

     After the deed transfered in 1956, the hall was called the Silverhill Farmers Community Club House. For over 20 years, the Silverhill Farmers Community Club and the Extension Homemakers Club used the building for meetings.

     In 1972, Bobby Kucera began teaching Tae Kwon Do martial arts classes in the Little Hall. His first classes were at the old sanctuary of the Silverhill Covenant Church for a short time before moving to the Little Hall where he continued until 1987.

     In 1978, the building was sold for $1 to Silverhill School and was moved to the west side of the Silverhill School campus where it was used as a band room and an assembly hall.

     When the new school gymnasium was constructed in 1988, the hall was later donated to the town of Silverhill and moved to 3rd Street onto town property near the ballparks and water tank where it was used for community activities.

     On March 9, 2011, a tornado damaged several buildings in Silverhill including the Little Hall. The building was shifted off its foundation and sustained extensive damage. The hall was moved again and repaired.

     Location: The Bohemian Hall is on the south side of 4th Avenue between 2nd Street and 3rd Street (town block 31, lots 23-24). This building still exists today as the Little Bohemian Hall community center.

     Interesting facts:

1. The Little Hall is now at its fourth location.


2. The building has had several names and nicknames: C.S.P.S. Hall (Czecho Slovakian Protective Society Hall), the Bohemian Public School, Bohemian Hall, Little Bohemian Hall, Silverhill Church of Christ, Silverhill Farmers Community Club House, Little Community Hall, Hunky Hall, Little Hall