Jamestown Opera House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jamestown Opera House
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Front and northern side
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 19 N. Limestone St., Jamestown, Ohio |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | John W. McLean; Matthew Moorman & Sons |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 07001093 |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 2007 |
The Jamestown Opera House is a really old and important building in Jamestown, Ohio, United States. It's known as a historic site because it has kept its original look and style very well.
This building wasn't just an opera house where people watched shows. It was also used for many other important things in the community. It served as the village's main office, a fire station, the post office, and even a library.
A Look Back: Jamestown's History
Jamestown got its first post office way back on September 16, 1823. At first, the post office was just part of the postmaster's store. For many years, the post office kept moving around town. Each new postmaster would move it to a different spot! One postmaster even moved it every week.
By 1870, Jamestown also had a library. However, only students from the village schools could use it.
The Opera House was built in 1889. It stands on a very important corner in Jamestown, where Limestone and Xenia Streets meet. These were once major roads connecting different towns.
The Opera House wasn't built to be a post office at first. But the old post office became too small. So, the post office moved into the Opera House. It stayed there until a new, special post office building was built in 1902.
Building Style: Romanesque Revival
The Jamestown Opera House is built in a style called Romanesque Revival. This style often uses strong, rounded arches and sturdy walls, like old Roman buildings.
The building's walls are made of brick. They sit on a strong foundation made of limestone. The roof is a mix of shingles and fiberglass.
When it was first built, the plan said it should only be used for government offices. But it ended up being used for the post office too. Besides offices for the village government, the Opera House also had a big auditorium with a stage. This is where plays and shows would have been performed.
Bringing the Opera House Back to Life
In 2007, the Jamestown Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a very important historic place. It got this honor because of its special architecture and its role in local history.
At that time, the building was being worked on. It wasn't being used for anything specific yet. It's one of two opera houses in Greene County that are on the National Register. The other is the Cedarville Opera House in Cedarville.
The state government gave about $225,000 in grants to help fix up the Opera House. Workers put in new windows and improved the electrical and heating/cooling systems. They also restored the outside walls. Another $50,000 grant was used to repaint and fix up the auditorium. All the renovation work was finished in 2010.
