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 really old and important building in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. It's located at 86 Townsend Avenue. This historic building was built way back in 1894. Over the years, it has been used for many different things. It used to be where the town's government offices were. It also served as a meeting place for special groups called fraternal organizations. Today, it's a popular place for performances and shows. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 2008.
About the Opera House
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor is found near the center of Boothbay Harbor's downtown area. It sits at the corner of Townsend Avenue and Smith Street. This large building has three and a half stories. It is made of wood and has a sloped roof. The bottom part of the building is made of brick.
The outside of the building is covered in wooden clapboards. These are long, thin boards that overlap. You can also see pretty, decorative shingles that look like scallops. The front of the building faces east toward Townsend Avenue. It has windows arranged in a balanced way. The main entrance is in the middle. You walk up granite steps to get inside. The entrance itself is fancy, with columns and a decorative top.
On the second floor, there are two windows with columns on each side. Above them is another decorative section. The third floor has a special three-part window. Above this window, a gabled dormer sticks out from the roof. This dormer goes up into the attic area.
Inside the building, there is a lobby. This lobby opens into the main performance hall. The hall has a stage with a special arch around it. There is also a balcony that runs along the sides and back of the room. The third floor used to have meeting rooms and storage areas. These were for the fraternal groups that used the building. Now, this floor also has a kitchen for events.
History of the Building
The Opera House was built in 1894. It was designed by famous architects from Portland. Their names were Francis H. Fassett and his son, Edward F. Fassett. A company called the Pythian Hall Company built it. They wanted it to be a place for many different uses.
At first, it held the town offices. It also had spaces for two important fraternal groups. These were the Knights of Pythias and the local Freemasons. The town offices stayed there until the 1930s. The fraternal groups used it until the 1960s. Town meetings were held here even into the 1970s.
During these years, the building was also a community center. People used it for meetings and cultural events. When it was first built, it was one of the tallest buildings in the village. Most other buildings were only one or two stories high.
In 1977, the town stopped renting space there. The building was then sold. It was changed into a place for shops. But in 2005, it was changed again. It became a performance venue once more. Today, it continues to be a central part of Boothbay Harbor's cultural life.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Maine
- Knights of Pythias
