Waterville Opera House and City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Waterville Opera House and City Hall
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Castonguay Sq., Waterville, Maine |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architect | Adams, George G. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000097 |
| Added to NRHP | January 1, 1976 |
The Waterville Opera House and City Hall is a special old building in downtown Waterville, Maine. It's located at Castonguay Square, near Common and Front Streets. This building was built around the year 1900. It's unique because it holds two important things: a place for live shows and offices for the city government. It still does both jobs today! In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings that are important to history.
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About the Waterville Opera House and City Hall
The Waterville Opera House and City Hall stands in downtown Waterville. You can find it at the corner of Common and Front Streets. The main front of the building faces south. A parking area and Castonguay Square are in front of it.
What the Building Looks Like
This building is large and has three stories. It is made of brick and has a style called Colonial Revival. This style was popular around the time it was built. The front of the building has nine sections, called bays. The middle three sections stick out a little bit.
You can get into the city offices through an entrance in the middle. This entrance is set back inside a round arch. Windows are on each side of the entrance, also in round arches. Stairs lead up to this entrance because the basement is a bit high. The windows on the second floor are tall and have rounded tops. The windows on the third floor are much shorter. Stone lines separate the different floors.
Inside the Building
The opera house has its own entrance on the west side of the building. Inside, the city offices are on the basement and first floors. The upper floors are used for the opera house. This includes a lobby, a large room for performances, and a backstage area. The main performance room has beautiful original plasterwork. It also has a painted curtain from when it was first built.
A Bit of History
Building a place that had both city offices and a performance hall was a common idea in Maine. Many towns built similar places around the year 1900. This building was designed by an architect named George G. Adams. He was from Lawrence, Massachusetts. The building was constructed between 1898 and 1902.
Over the years, the opera house has hosted many different events. It has had local plays and shows put on by people from the town. It also welcomed traveling theater groups. After World War II, it became a popular place to watch movies. But recently, people have become more interested in live shows again.
