Opera House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Opera House stood at the northeast corner of Main Street and Seneca Avenue. The first floor contained many stores and offices and the theater was on the third floor. Creaking sounds caused it to be inspected by J. T. Weybrecht the morning of June 2, 1886 who warned all inhabitants to vacate the premises. At approximately 4:30 p.m., the building collapsed. The cause was from defective bricks used for its construction. There was some speculation that vibrations from closely passing railroad trains contributed to the shifting of the bricks. Remnants of the building were still extant until the final demolition in the late 1900s. Chuck's Inn, located at 604 East Main Street, used the remaining part of the original opera house and collapsed during remodeling in March 1971.
Images
Drawing of the Opera House when it opened
Opera House just after its collapse on June 2, 1886
Northeast corner of E. Main Street & Seneca where the Opera House once stood
Chuck's Inn
Chuck's Inn after collapse