Building: The two-story building, built in 1912, was bought and occupied by the Roseville Eagles in 1921, remodeled in 1929 and the mortgage paid off by 1947. In the early 1940s it was retrofitted to make it earthquake safe by running large steel covered wood beams from the west to the east side of the building. Three of these beams are exposed in the Club Room. The building is approximately 10,000 square feet of space between the first and second floors. There are two entrances, one at 124 Vernon Street and the other at 210 Lincoln Street. This latter one was added by Roseville Telephone when it built it’s building surrounding the Hall on three sides and in the process, cutting off access to what once was the fire escape into the back alley.
Very little was done to the exterior or interior of the Hall for many years. In fact, it became an eye sore for the city. In 2005 the City of Roseville offered building owners grants to help spruce up the town by improving the facades of existing buildings. Spurred on by a grant from the City for $10,000 the Eagles undertook a complete façade renovation spending another $35,000 in the process. It would have been costlier, but a lot of the work; especially most of the demolition work, was done by Eagle volunteers. Through contracts with commercial companies and the volunteer labor of the Tile Companies apprenticeship program, the building soon became one of the gems on Vernon Street. Gone was the unsightly peeling paint, the metal awnings and the old metal fire escape. New paint, tile and canvas awnings made the City Fathers smile.
Upgrades on the interior of the building began in 2009. The Club Room received a face lift in 2010 and additional cosmetic face lifts have occurred in 2011 and 2012 to the kitchen, bathrooms and main hall. More work is planned.
Hall Use: The hall is divided between the downstairs and the upstairs with about equal space. The downstairs is rented out to three local businesses and the upstairs is the home of the Eagles for their regular meetings and social and charitable activities. In addition, the Eagles Hall is a favorite place for many residents and members who rent it on weekends for weddings, birthday parties and other like events. For more information see Hall Rental.
Hall Configuration
The Eagles Hall has three distinct areas, the Kitchen, the Club Room, and the Main Hall.
The Kitchen: The kitchen recently received some cosmetic improvements with new floor tile, and cabinets. It is very spacious with two double refrigerators (one for use by renters), a gas convection oven, a gas grill, a Wolfe Gas stove (with 6 burners, two ovens and a griddle), a microwave oven, a commercial dishwasher, a four-space gas food warmer, an ice maker, and three sinks. The kitchen also has three booths for seating for meals or for just kicking back to rest. There is a storage alcove where 30 six-foot rectangle tables, 10 sixty inch round tables, and 180 padded chairs are stored. There is also a small office for the Secretary and Treasurer of the Aerie. The kitchen is cooled by a swamp cooler and fans to help with the circulation.
The Club Room: The Club Room received a face lift in 2010 and is very attractive and functional. It has a full service and stocked bar from “well” to “top shelf” liquor. There is a wide variety of bottle beers and 6 different beers on tap that can satisfy a multitude of beer tastes. There is also a selection of wines. The Club Room has two billiard tables, a poker table, dice cups, darts, three flat screen TVs and cable connection. Seating is plentiful with three comfortable booths that can seat 6 each, 12 bar stools, plus chairs around the poker table that flips to become a bumper pool table or just a regular table. The Club Room is air conditioned.
The Main Hall: According to the Fire Marshall, the main hall can accommodate 299 people. However, that wouldn’t leave much room for any tables and chairs. A more realistic figure for planning events in the hall is a maximum of 200 people. That would leave room for tables and chairs plus a small space for dancing. The floor in the main hall is hardwood making it suitable for dancing. In addition, there is a separate stage that can accommodate bands and DJs. The Hall has all new lighting, some of which can be dimmed. It has an AV system, including an overhead projector and screen that can be used to show videos, slide shows or just play music. Up-lighting is available for a fee. The room is air conditioned.
Entrances: There are two main entrances to the hall, 124 Vernon Street and 210 Lincoln Street. The Lincoln Street entrance is the preferred entrance for Eagles events and for rentals since it goes directly into the main hall and leads to the Club Room. In addition, the stairs on the Lincoln Street entrance are not as steep at the Vernon Street stairs.
However, there is a lift on the Vernon Street stairs that can be used when an individual is in a wheelchair or is otherwise unable to walk up the stairs. This entrance can also be used to bring supplies and heavier items into the hall.
For information on renting the hall click Hall Rental.