Built in 1909, the Discher Park Pavilion is the oldest public-use historic building in the City of Horicon. Originally used as a facility serving a horse racing track that pre-dates the construction of Discher Park, the pavilion has been used over the years as a Teen Center, a meeting place for countless family reunions, as the headquarters for Horicon annual Marsh Days events, Rock ‘n River Jam, Horicon Chamber of Commerce’s Autumn Art On The Marsh and most recently the Jersey Street Music Festival.
Over time and with the dwindling of public funds necessary to maintain the building, it has deteriorated to the point that it is almost unusable. Horicon Phoenix Program is working to raise enough funds through private donations and foundation grants to repair the building. The most recent estimate to repair the building is about $75,000.00 and includes:
- Raising the building and rebuilding the foundation
- Repairing, replacing and repainting the exterior wood
- Repair of electrical
- Making the facility ADA compliant
- Installing a new roof
The pavilion has a storied past and over its history is the most-rented parks building in the City of Horicon. Horicon Phoenix Program believes that it is not only vital to save one of City’s historic and most iconic buildings, but it is also the most fiscally responsible plan. Trying to tear down the pavilion and build a new structure in its place would not only be many times more expensive, but would result in the loss of all of the historic character in the building