On May 1, 1897, an afternoon concert at Augusta city hall became both popular and historic when the people of Augusta heard Sousa's Band, then the most famous band in the country. By the time of this Augusta concert, John Philip Sousa was America's "March King," having composed some of his best-known marches, including The Washington Post March and Semper Fidelis. These and other marches were performed in Augusta's new city hall, which had opened in 1896 and was designed by architect John Spofford with spacious offices and an auditorium. The audience was enthralled by the spirited music, and the first encore was a new untitled march: here at Augusta city hall in 1897, America heard Stars and Stripes Forever for the first time.