Brown's Hall-Thompson's Opera House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Brown's Hall-Thompson's Opera House
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View of the Gem Theater; the old opera house is on the far side
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 Location in Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Location | N. Main St., Pioche, Nevada |
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| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | Brown, Aleck |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002074 |
| Added to NRHP | August 16, 1984 |
Thompson's Opera House, also called Brown's Hall, is a historic theater building in Pioche, Nevada. It was built way back in 1873. This wooden building stands right next to the brick Gem Theater. The Gem Theater is a newer building, opened in 1937, specifically for showing movies.
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A Historic Building in Pioche
Thompson's Opera House was a very important place for the community. It was used as a meeting place, a dance hall, and a theater. Imagine people gathering here for fun events!
Building the Opera House
A person named Aleck Brown built the Opera House in September 1873. Its very first show was a play called Pygmalion and Galatea. Professional actors from San Francisco came to perform on opening night.
New Owners and Changes
In 1891, Alexander S. Thompson bought the Opera House. He made some improvements, like fixing the floor and making the stage bigger. After he passed away in 1905, his sons, Charles and Frank, took over. They remodeled the building again in 1907.
The Opera House started showing its first silent movie in 1915. In 1935, Frank Thompson renamed it the Gem Theater. But just two years later, in 1937, he built a brand new Gem Theater right next door. This new building was made just for movies. After that, the old Opera House was used less often.
What the Opera House Looks Like
This two-story building has a rectangular shape. It shows some features of the Greek Revival style. This means it has a shallow front roof that looks a bit like a triangle.
Originally, there was a porch across the front with a railing above it. This porch was removed for a while but has now been put back. The front of the building is covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboards. The sides and back have vertical wooden boards. The building was made with strong, heavy wooden posts and beams.
The first floor used to have shops and dressing rooms for performers. The main hall, where all the shows happened, was on the second floor. You had to climb steep stairs from the street to get there. At the back, there's an addition built into the hillside. This part holds the stage on the second floor.
A National Historic Place
Thompson's Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it's recognized as an important historic site in the United States. It is one of only three theaters from the 1800s that are still standing in Nevada.
See also
In Spanish: Thompson's Opera para niños
