McHaffey Opera House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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McHaffey Opera House
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 414 Elm St. Eldon, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001317 |
| Added to NRHP | November 22, 1995 |
The McHaffey Opera House is an old and important building in Eldon, Iowa, United States. It was built in 1891 and was a busy place for the community until the 1940s. After being empty for many years, a group of volunteers bought it in 1995. They started working to fix it up. The McHaffey Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1995. This means it's a special place worth protecting.
Contents
Building History
How It Was Built
An Irish immigrant named David McHaffey owned a brickyard in Eldon. In 1891, he built the opera house using bricks from his own business. Eldon was located on a main railway line, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. This helped the McHaffey Opera House become part of the "New York Circuit."
A Hub for Entertainment
Being on the "New York Circuit" meant that traveling theater groups came to Eldon. They performed popular Broadway plays and classic Shakespearean shows. There were also vaudeville acts, which were fun variety shows with different performers.
The opera house was used for many other things too.
- Local talent shows
- Political rallies
- High school graduation ceremonies
For a while, from the early 1900s to the 1920s, the McHaffey Opera House even hosted basketball games!
From Live Shows to Movies
Later, when movies became popular, a special booth was added to the McHaffey. This booth was for showing silent films. These were movies without sound. When "talkies" (movies with sound) became very popular in the late 1920s, sound equipment was added to the Opera House.
The last high school graduation ceremony at the McHaffey Opera House was in 1941. By the 1940s, Eldon had another movie theater. This meant the McHaffey was no longer needed for showing films. However, a flood in 1947 damaged the newer theater. This gave the Opera House one last chance to briefly show movies. After that, the McHaffey Opera House was mostly unused for a long time. It was sometimes used for storage.
Other Uses of the Building
Besides being a place for entertainment, the McHaffey Opera House also had other purposes. Dr. S.H. Sawyers, who was a surgeon for the Rock Island Line railroad, had his office on the second floor starting in the 1890s. Other businesses also rented space on the main floor.
Originally, the main floor had two separate storefronts. Later, the wall between them was removed to create one large space. This larger space was first a grocery store and then an auto parts store.
Bringing the Opera House Back to Life
Starting the Restoration
In 1995, a group of community volunteers formed a non-profit organization. Their goal was to save and restore the McHaffey Opera House. It had been empty for almost 50 years. The restoration work has been paid for by some grants. However, most of the money came from community efforts. These efforts include running a thrift shop and selling yearly calendars.
Restoration Progress
Many parts of the building have been fixed up.
- All the original flooring has been repaired.
- Some of the original seats have been kept.
- Most of the walls have been fixed and repainted.
- A new heating and air conditioning system was put in.
- The roof was repaired to stop water damage from happening again.
Modern improvements have also been added. For example, a special elevator was installed to make the building accessible for people with disabilities.
Community Events and Future Plans
A popular yearly event in southeast Iowa is the Christmas Tree Wonderland. This event is held on the main floor of the McHaffey. Over 75 beautifully decorated trees are displayed during the holiday season.
The next step in the restoration is to paint the walls next to the main stage. There are also plans to bring back live theater performances. Another idea is to create a museum in part of the building.
The stage came alive again on May 14, 2013. The Cardinal Community School District held its "Parade of Bands" there. The 5th grade, Middle School, and High School Bands performed. More than 200 people filled the theater for the performances. The event also helped the McHaffey financially. School employees donated $300 to help with the ongoing restoration work.
