Porter County Memorial Opera Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Porter County Memorial Hall
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Porter County Memorial Hall in 2004
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 104 Indiana Ave., Valparaiso, Indiana |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | Lembke, Charles F. |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001231 |
| Added to NRHP | May 23, 1984 |
The Porter County Memorial Hall, also known as the Memorial Opera House, is a special historic building in Valparaiso, Indiana. It was built to remember soldiers and sailors from the American Civil War. It also served as a meeting place for a group called the Grand Army of the Republic, which was made up of Civil War veterans.
This building was designed in 1892 by a local architect named Charles F. Lembke. It was built between 1892 and 1893. Besides being a memorial hall, it was also used as the local opera house, hosting many performances and events.
Many famous people have visited the Memorial Opera House. It's said that William Jennings Bryan, a well-known politician, spoke here during his 1896 presidential campaign. Other important visitors included President Theodore Roosevelt, famous bandleader John Phillips Sousa, and even the hilarious Marx Brothers.
Over time, movies became popular, and the opera house was changed to show films. By World War II, the building was empty and unused. But in 1955, a group called the Community Theatre Guild started using it again for plays. They helped bring the building back to life. In the late 1990s, Porter County took over the building and restored it. Today, the Memorial Opera House is still used for theater shows, concerts, and other community events. It's located at 104 Indiana Avenue, near the historic Porter County Jail and Sheriff's House. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Contents
What the Building Looks Like Outside
The Memorial Opera House, built in 1893, has a mix of styles. It mostly looks like Queen Anne style, which means it has fancy details and a balanced design. You can also see influences from other architects like Louis Sullivan and H. H. Richardson, who worked in nearby Chicago.
The front of the building has a part that sticks out, which is two stories tall. This part has a special roof shape called a "jerkin-head gable." The main entrance is on the ground floor of this section. It has a wide, arched opening made of brick and stone. The entrance itself has two sets of double doors. Above the doors, there are eight small windows arranged like a fan.
Above the entrance, there's a stone panel with an important message: "1883, Memorial Hall, A monument to the Soldiers and Sailors of 1861-5." This shows who the building was built to honor. Above this stone, there's another fan-shaped window with clear and stained glass. The edges of the roof are decorated with carved designs.
On both sides of the main entrance, there are single windows. These windows are arched at the top and have stone sills. Above them, more windows have stone sills and a stone band that acts as a top frame. The very top of these sections has a low wall with rounded "shoulders."
Two round towers stand on either side of the main front of the building. These towers have rectangular windows with stone sills and tops. Above these windows, there are decorative brick patterns and a fancy band of flowers and carvings.
The building is two stories tall and has a sloped roof. Some parts of the roof are hipped, meaning they slope on all sides. There are also arched windows on the sides of the building, similar to the ones on the front. Small supports called buttresses stick out from the walls.
Inside the Opera House
When you go inside the Memorial Opera House, you can still see some of its original features. It has an orchestra pit, which is where musicians play during shows. There are also special side boxes, which are small seating areas framed by decorative posts. These posts have latticework connecting them at the top, which looks a bit like the designs you might see in old Queen Anne style houses.
In 1967, the building got some updates. A new floor was put in, and modern seats were added. The orchestra pit was also improved. These changes helped make the opera house better for performances.
Why This Building is Important
The idea for the Memorial Opera House came from the Chaplain Brown Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. This group of Civil War veterans wanted a place to remember their fellow soldiers. They started a public fundraising effort to collect money for the building. The county government helped by providing land and more funds.
When the building opened in 1893, the G.A.R. used it for patriotic meetings, concerts, and talks. However, they found it hard to pay for the building's costs. So, in 1901, the county took over the building and its debts.
After that, the building was leased to Albert F. Heineman. He brought in many different kinds of entertainment, like traveling theater groups, politicians, and vaudeville shows (which were like variety shows). It's believed that William Jennings Bryan gave his famous "Cross of Gold and Crown of Thorns" speech here. Theodore Roosevelt also visited in 1900 while campaigning.
Live shows were very popular at the Opera House until the 1920s. Then, movies started to become more popular and took over from live performances. During the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the building showed some movies and hosted local groups, but it was often empty. By the 1950s, people even thought about tearing it down.
But in 1957, the Community Theatre Guild was formed specifically to save and fix up the Opera House. They made a deal with the county to lease the building and started making repairs. They also created a stage for local actors. A big renovation project happened in 1967. The Guild later moved to another theater, and in the mid-1990s, the county started a huge renovation to restore the Opera House.
The building is a great example of architecture from the 1890s, especially the Queen Anne style. It has stayed in very good condition, showing what these types of buildings looked like during the Victorian era.
Gallery
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Entrance arch
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Dedication stone
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Jerkin-gable and fan light
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East façade
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Northwest turret
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Front view
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1918 View
