One of the jewels of University Circle, Cleveland's cultural district, Severance Hall is located on the corner of East Boulevard and Euclid Avenue and is famous throughout the country for its exquisite architecture , as well as extraordinary sound in its main concert hall. Despite the deterioration of the economy during the Great Depression, construction began in 1929 and was finally finished in 1931. Since its opening in 1931, the famous Cleveland Orchestra has held most of its concerts there and uses Severance Hall as its venue. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Severance Hall, including its amenities and appearance, is a major feature of Cleveland's downtown scene. Severance Hall is considered one of the largest concert halls in America. The building is named after John L. Severance and his wife Elisabeth, who initially pledged to donate $1 million for its construction. Elisabeth's father was the treasurer of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company and was chairman of the orchestra's board of directors. Elisabeth died unexpectedly early in the design process. In his memory, John Severance made many other contributions to the completion of the hall, totaling 3 million. The building was dedicated in 1930 and completed in 1931, at a cost of $7 million. Upon its opening, the historic building was recognized as one of the most modern and up-to-date concert facilities in America. Severance also features a chamber music hall, called Reinburger Hall, which seats 400 people, while the main concert hall seats 1,844 people. Prior to the construction of Severance Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra first performed in the much smaller Grays Armory in downtown Cleveland and then moved to the Masonic Aud... middle of paper... instrument case to be changed during the construction of the hall. early years, when she was one of the few women in the orchestra. In 1997, a second renovation project was initiated to update Severance Hall and restore some original details in the concert hall, which included a $36 million restoration and expansion. The original organ was also restored and reinstalled in the concert hall. Severance Hall has undergone many changes over the years, but some of the most noticeable are changes to the stage and acoustic structure. The renovated building reopened in January 2000 and won the National Preservation Honor Award. The project architect was David M. Schwarz. The most significant aesthetic change was the replacement of the old shell with a new acoustic shell that combined the acoustics of the old one with a decorative style in harmony with the rest of the room.