Bardavon 1869 Opera House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Collingwood Opera House and Office Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, United States
Built	1869
Architect	J.A. Wood
NRHP reference No.	77000939
Added to NRHP	October 20, 1977

The Bardavon 1869 Opera House is a very old and special theater in Poughkeepsie, New York. It's the oldest theater in New York State that has been open without stopping!

A person named J.A. Wood designed it, and it was built in 1869. For many years, it was a place for plays, concerts, and community events. From 1923 to 1975, it mostly showed movies. But it also had some live shows, like vaudeville (a type of variety show with different acts).

The theater was first called the Collingwood Opera House. This was after its owner, James Collingwood. Many famous people performed there between 1869 and 1921. These included Sarah Bernhardt and John Barrymore. In 1976, it went back to being a place for all kinds of performing arts.

History of the Bardavon Opera House

The Bardavon was designed by a well-known Poughkeepsie architect, J. A. Wood. James S. Post built it. He was famous for building many structures in Poughkeepsie.

In 1905, the theater got a big makeover. Architect William J. Beardsley oversaw this work. He also designed other important buildings nearby. The theater reopened on January 1, 1923, with a new name: The Bardavon Theater.

Around that time, Paramount Pictures bought it. In 1928, a special Wurlitzer pipe organ was added. This organ made sounds like a whole orchestra! It was later moved out in the 1960s.

A look at the stage

The Bardavon kept showing movies until 1975. At that time, there were plans to tear it down. This was because of new building projects in the downtown area. People wanted to save the theater. They worked together and succeeded! On August 20, 1977, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This meant it was a very important historical building. It was then renamed The Bardavon 1869 Opera House.

Since then, over $5 million has been raised to fix up the Bardavon. Now, it's used again for many different types of performances. You can see theater, dance, music, and opera there. In 1983, the original Wurlitzer pipe organ was found. It was brought back and put into the theater again!

The Bardavon has also been the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic orchestra for over 40 years. In 1953, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even narrated Peter and the Wolf during a performance there.

More recently, on August 30, 2020, the Bardavon started a free online series. It was called "Albums Revisited."

Famous Performers at the Bardavon

Many amazing actors and musicians have performed at the Bardavon. Here are some of them:

Names Through the Years

The Bardavon has had a few different names:

• Collingwood Opera House: 1869–1921
• Bardavon Theater: 1923–1975
• Bardavon 1869 Opera House: 1976–present