Opera House at Boothbay Harbor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
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 Location in Maine
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| Location | 86 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor, Maine |
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| Area | 0.45 acres (0.18 ha) |
| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | Francis H. Fassett and Edward F. Fassett |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001256 |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 2008 |
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor is a special old building in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. It was built way back in 1894. Over the years, this building has been many things! It used to hold town offices and was a meeting place for groups like the Knights of Pythias. Today, it's a popular spot for performances and shows. Because of its long history and unique style, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 2008.
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The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
What Does It Look Like?
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor is a big, wooden building with three and a half stories. It has a sloped roof and a strong brick base. The outside is mostly covered in wooden planks, but it also has cool, decorative shingles that look like fish scales.
The main front of the building faces Townsend Avenue. It has a balanced design with pairs of windows on the sides. The main entrance is in the middle, with granite steps and fancy railings. The doorway itself is very detailed, with columns and a decorative top.
Above the entrance, the second floor has two windows with more columns. The third floor has a special three-part window, and above that, a gabled dormer reaches into the attic.
Inside the Opera House
When you go inside, you enter a foyer, which leads to the main auditorium. This large room has a stage with a grand arch around it. There's also a balcony that runs along the sides and back of the room. The third floor used to have meeting rooms and storage for the groups that used the hall. Now, it also includes a kitchen.
A Building with Many Lives
The Opera House was built in 1894. It was designed by famous architects from Portland, Maine, Francis H. Fassett and his son, Edward F. Fassett. The building was created to be a place for many different uses.
It housed the town offices for Boothbay Harbor. It also provided meeting spaces for groups like the Knights of Pythias and the local Freemasons.
From Town Hall to Performance Stage
The Opera House served as the town offices until the 1930s. It continued as a meeting hall for fraternal groups until the 1960s. Town meetings were held here even into the 1970s. During all these years, it was also a popular place for community gatherings and cultural events.
When it was first built, the Opera House was one of the tallest buildings in the village. Most other buildings were only one or two stories high.
In 1977, the town stopped using the building for meetings. It was then sold and changed into a commercial retail space, meaning it held shops. But in 2005, the building was changed back to what it is today: a wonderful place for performances and shows.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Maine
- Knights of Pythias
