A magical night at the opera coming to Millersburg
When did the Millersburg Opera House officially come down? While controversy swirls, putting the true date out there is part of the fun, along with a rare piece of memorabilia that will be kept under wraps until the big reveal the evening of the HCHS show on May 11.
What recent discovery from the Millersburg Opera House, which is more than a century old, awaits those who attend the upcoming History of the Millersburg Opera House presentation by the Holmes County Historical Society?
That is the big secret, and people will have to attend the event at the American Legion Hall in Millersburg on Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. to discover this rare look back in time.
Mark Boley, director of the Holmes County Victorian House and Holmes County Historical Society, said the big reveal will be worth a visit to the show.
“This is such a rarity and such a unique part of not only our history, but a piece of Americana history that will really present some neat insight into the opera house and our community,” Boley said.
While the big reveal will be a highlight, it will be far from the only aspect of the evening.
With the HCHS crew dressed in period costume from the 1910s-20s, the evening will highlight the opera house in all its glory, from the initial building to the controversy surrounding the demolition of the building in 1957.
“We hear all the time how people wish the building had never been torn down,” Boley said. “It was so popular back in its day and showed cartoons prior to when sound was available, and when talkies became a thing, they showed those too. It was a special treat for people to attend the theater, but they also had live shows and the building was the hub of activity in Millersburg in its existence.”
The opera house also served as a home to the mayor’s office, local fire department, the village offices and an entertainment hub.
The evening will explore the history of the iconic building, which was built in 1890 by the same architect who designed the current Holmes County Courthouse.
Boley said prior to the opera house, the lot held the Park Roller Rink and the Park Theater, which were torn down in order to build the opera house.
To create a worthwhile presentation, the HCHS members did plenty of digging throughout the community to find old memorabilia. Boley said the idea to create an evening focusing on the opera house isn’t new.
“The idea was kicked around last year to create a program on the opera house, but we didn’t feel as though we had enough information to properly present everything the opera house was,” Boley said. “We really hoped to find some interior pictures that define what it looked like on the inside, but thus far that hasn’t happened, but we did locate many unique items that will really interest people.”
Boley said as a very young child, he remembers sitting with his father, watching the wrecking ball do its damage when the opera house was torn down. He said there is a false narrative that the building was razed in 1954. He said he would have been a year old then and would have no recollection. He said it was instead in 1957.
“Part of our mission will be to put that rumor to bed once and for all,” Boley said.
He said there was even a great deal of controversy as to why they tore it down, with parking area being one key factor. It also was being considered being tabbed as condemned but was not because it had no structural issues.
“There was a struggle going on between several factions who didn’t see eye to eye,” Boley said. “But sadly, it was eventually torn down.”
While the HCHS volunteers will be dressed to the nines, they invite visitors to also don their finest period costumes. They will have a Best Dressed Award to hand out at the end of the night.
“Because this is such a beloved part of our history, we want this to be a very special night that brings back memories as we celebrate this beautiful and unique part of our local Historic Downtown Millersburg and Holmes County history,” Boley said.
While the HCHS has held plenty of events before, this one seems to be generating a great deal of interest, and because of that, the board is considering several options including going to a second showing if necessary.
“Right now we’re set to go as is, but we are going to explore different options if we generate the interest we think we will receive for this show,” Boley said.
Because of the interest being generated, WKLM 95.3 radio will do a livestream of the event for those who are shut-in or unable to make it on the evening of the presentation. That can be accomplished by logging on to Youtube.com and typing WKLM into the search bar.
Take a step back into 1916 for a special evening of insight and intrigue as the recent discovery and big reveal bring something amazing to light.
The American Legion is located at 264 W. Jackson St. in Millersburg. The event will take place in the upstairs meeting room, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.