Hansen and Waggoner and Buddy Holly
Hansen and Waggoner and the Mason City airport have an unusual connection to one of the most well-known tragedies in American music. The architectural firm designed the Surf Ballroom, the site of the last performance of Buddy Holly in 1959. The Mason City Municipal Airport, also designed by Hansen and Waggoner, was where he and his bandmates took off on the fateful flight that would be their last.
The first Surf Ballroom was built in 1933 by Hansen and Waggoner. It was located across the street from the current one. It burned down on April 20, 1947. Both corporate owners and local groups wanted the venue rebuilt quickly, especially because it had become a popular stop on national tours for a variety of famous performers. Construction proceeded quickly and the new Surf Ballroom, also designed by Hansen and Waggoner, opened on July 1, 1948. Hansen and Waggoner’s design was larger, with more space for booths, lounge areas, dance floors, and a restaurant. The budget was initially $300,000, although the final cost ended up being slightly higher.
A photo of Harry Hansen of Hansen and Waggoner with builder Carl Henkel, also of Mason City, observing their work in the 1948 Surf Ballroom. Photo Courtesy Mason City Public Library Archives.
The Surf Ballroom has hosted many performers throughout its history. However, the venue is most closely associated with Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, who had their last performance at the venue in 1959. After performing at the Surf Ballroom on Monday, February 2, Holly, Valens, and Richardson chartered a plane to fly them to Moorhead, Minnesota, rather than take a bus there. Holly particularly had grown tired of long nights traveling by bus; their trip from Green Bay the previous night had been lengthened by multiple mechanical issues with their tour bus. While the rest of the band drove, the trio of musicians chartered a plane from the Dwyer Flying Service and took off from the Mason City Airport with local pilot Roger Peterson around 1 AM. The plane crashed a few minutes after takeoff, killing all four men. This event sent shockwaves across the world and has come to be known as ‘the day the music died,’ a phrase coined by Don McLean in his 1971 song “American Pie.” For its association with Holly, Valens, and Richardson as the site of their last performance, as well as one of the best-preserved remaining stops on their 1959 winter tour, the Surf Ballroom was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2021. A memorial stands in the field outside of Clear Lake where their plane crashed, and the Surf Ballroom, still operating as a music venue, has a small museum dedicated to the musicians, the tour, and the day the music died.
Interior views of the current Surf Ballroom, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Photos Courtesy Tallgrass Archaeology LLC.