Fredonia Opera House facts for kids
The Fredonia Opera House opened in 1891. It is located inside the Village Hall in downtown Fredonia, New York. You can find it at 9-11 Church St. Today, it's a busy performing arts center. It hosts many live shows and screens independent and foreign films. It's also a place for community meetings, debates, weddings, and other events.
Designing the Opera House
The architect who designed the Village Hall was Enoch A. Curtis. He was well-known in the area. For the outside of the building and the office spaces, he used a style called "Queen Anne eclectic style." This style mixes different design ideas.
Inside the Opera House, Curtis was more creative. He took ideas from famous theaters in Europe and New York. He used new technology and affordable materials to create a grand space. The curved balcony, the wooden decorations, and the large, fancy metal arch around the stage were all inspired by world-famous theaters. These beautiful features are still there today.
Originally, the ceiling had painted designs on plaster. But water damaged it. In 1903, a new tin ceiling was put in, which has also been fixed up. The building was updated several times. In the early 1900s, gas lights were slowly replaced with electric lights.
In 1926, the old folding wooden chairs were replaced. New, bigger seats from the Heywood-Wakefield Company were installed. Many of these seats are still used today. New stairs were added to the balcony. A new booth for showing movies was also built. Over time, the windows in the main hall were covered up. However, the Opera House was neglected for many years. By 1981, it was in such bad shape that it had to close.
A Grand Opening Night
The Fredonia Opera House first opened its doors in April 1891. It was a very special event. Guests from all over the region dressed up smartly. They enjoyed a lively performance of "Josephine, Empress of the French." This evening was a dream come true for the Village officials. They had always wanted a grand building with an Opera House. It would overlook Barker Commons, the Village Square.
Many towns in the late 1800s shared this dream. With railroads making travel easier, people in smaller towns could now see performances. These shows used to be only available in big cities.
Fredonia's Opera House was very large and elegant. It could host many different activities. For almost 100 years after it opened, it enriched the lives of nearly everyone in the town. Many of the best entertainers from the late 1800s and early 1900s performed here. They loved the excellent sound quality. Famous people like Clara Morris, James O'Neill, and Pat Rooney performed on its stage.
The Opera House featured both professional and local talent. There were minstrel shows, light operas, and plays like "Hamlet" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin." You could also find musical concerts, political speeches, graduations, and religious services. There were even demonstrations of wrestling and cooking! Older residents of Fredonia remember being in talent shows there, with tap dancing and singing. After 1900, movies became more common. By 1926, movies were the main attraction, though live shows still happened.
Saving the Opera House
In 1983, there was a plan to tear down the Opera House. This made many people in the community upset. In response, the Fredonia Preservation Society was formed. This group worked hard to save the building and have it fixed up.
In 1985, the Village Trustees decided to raise money to fix the administrative parts of the building. This decision was strongly supported by the public. At that time, the Fredonia Preservation Society promised to raise money for the Opera House itself. They raised funds through a local campaign. They also received a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Several smaller state grants, help from the Gebbie Foundation, and support from the Village also contributed. Many volunteers also gave their time and materials.
About $900,000 was raised. After almost ten years of hard work, the Opera House was finally restored. It is now open again. It will serve the community for another century as a cultural center for many different purposes.
