A 2,500-seat auditorium called the Tabernacle stood on this site from the opening year of the Florida Chautauqua resort campus until 1909, when it was replaced by a new 4,000-seat auditorium known today as the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood. It was the resort's first grand auditorium and was used for major lectures, performances, and special functions during the Florida Chautauqua season, which lasted up to nine weeks beginning in February, with stages often decorated for evening programs to complement each day's learning activities. Notable speakers who lectured here included William Jennings Bryan and Clara Barton. During the off-season, other meetings and events were held here, including the creation of the Southern Forestry Congress in partnership with the American Forestry Congress in December 1885, an event that helped lead Florida Governor Edward Aylsworth Perry to declare Arbor Day in Florida after he was inspired by a presentation from B.G. Northrop. Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton later attended the Florida Chautauqua Assembly in 1887 as a major speaker here. The Caricco Orchestra, known for performing at many world fairs, also appeared during the annual Assembly. As attendance at the annual Assembly grew rapidly, Chautauqua leaders replaced the Tabernacle in 1909 to accommodate larger crowds.