Lakeview Pavilion

On July 4, 1906, Lake View Park opened under the ownership of the William Ross family. The facility included a dance hall pavilion, dining room, theater, and 25-piece bandstand.

Dancing was offered three evenings each week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Patrons who hailed from distant towns would arrive by train in Mansfield and board trolley cars to Foxborough. Recognizing the potential ridership business, the Norfolk & Bristol Street Railway constructed a spur line from the electric rails between Foxborough and Wrentham, directly to the Lake View Park. The spur line ended with a rail loop for the return trip.

In 1926, Lakeview was purchased by the Witschi family, who hosted big band concerts as well as dancing. People from miles around came what was now called “Lakeview Ballroom, The Home of Headliners,” where they were entertained by top bandleaders and their orchestras, including Mal Hallett, Duke Ellington, Phil Napoleon, and Ross Gorman.

In 1989, Lakeview Ballroom was purchased by the Kourtidis family, who renamed it Lakeview Pavilion. Since then, it has been lovingly managed, cared for, and updated by sisters Anastasia Tsoumbanos and Natalia Kapourelakos.

The beloved Lakeview Pavilion was unfortunately destroyed by a fast-moving fire on the night of April 5, 2014. Thankfully no one was hurt in the three-alarm blaze, but the quick response of the firefighters was not enough to save the building. Though the loss was heartbreaking, energy was immediately focused on the rebuild. Just one year later, the stunning new Lakeview Pavilion opened in 2015.