Beardstown Grand Opera House
Encyclopedia
The Beardstown Grand Opera House is an opera house
on South State Street in Beardstown
, Cass County, Illinois. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 11, 2000, and is in the process of restoration.
of P.T. Barnum fame.
Though the years there have been many owners of this historic building. Between 1872 and 1893, a partnership of Henry Krohe and George Schneider owned the building. From 1872 to 1893 a partnership between Henry Krohe and Georgee Schneider controlled the building. Facts about Krohe are known but Schneider is lost to history. A team of five owners took over the opera house for the years 1893 to 1899: they were T.K. Condit, J.P. Harris, Merton Harris, William Deppe and August Deppe. For the five year period from 1899 to 1904 a set of three owners, three of the previous owners dropped out and a replacement owner came in, controlled the Grand Opera House, Condit, Harris and J.F. Duvall. In 1904 the Deppe family took over control for the next 50 years until, in 1954, the Huss family took over until 1968.
In more recent history it was owned by the Irene Schroll family. In March 2004, the opera house was purchased by the Heritage Preservation Foundation, a non-profit organization created for the purpose of owning the Opera House. Four years before, it had been added to the National Register of Historic Places
; it is one of two such locations in Cass County.
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
on South State Street in Beardstown
Beardstown, Illinois
Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,123 at the 2010 census. The public schools are in Beardstown Community Unit School District 15.-Geography:Beardstown is located at...
, Cass County, Illinois. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 11, 2000, and is in the process of restoration.
History
The Beardstown Opera House was originally built in 1872. Nearing completion the opera house was almost completely destroyed by a tornado. After the Opera House was rebuilt by the owners and volunteer townsfolk, the first troupe to play the theater was General Tom ThumbGeneral Tom Thumb
General Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton , a dwarf who achieved great fame under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.-Early life:...
of P.T. Barnum fame.
Though the years there have been many owners of this historic building. Between 1872 and 1893, a partnership of Henry Krohe and George Schneider owned the building. From 1872 to 1893 a partnership between Henry Krohe and Georgee Schneider controlled the building. Facts about Krohe are known but Schneider is lost to history. A team of five owners took over the opera house for the years 1893 to 1899: they were T.K. Condit, J.P. Harris, Merton Harris, William Deppe and August Deppe. For the five year period from 1899 to 1904 a set of three owners, three of the previous owners dropped out and a replacement owner came in, controlled the Grand Opera House, Condit, Harris and J.F. Duvall. In 1904 the Deppe family took over control for the next 50 years until, in 1954, the Huss family took over until 1968.
In more recent history it was owned by the Irene Schroll family. In March 2004, the opera house was purchased by the Heritage Preservation Foundation, a non-profit organization created for the purpose of owning the Opera House. Four years before, it had been added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
; it is one of two such locations in Cass County.
External links
- Beardstown Opera House - official site