The Pocahontas County Opera House is located in rural Marlinton, West Virginia

Marlinton, West Virginia

Marlinton is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pocahontas County.-History:...

. Railroad magnate J.G. Tilton built the original building in 1907. In 1910, the current building was added on. It currently serves as a performance venue for local and traveling performers as well as a community center for county residents, although it has at times been a newspaper, a roller rink, and a car dealership. The Opera House Foundation operates as a non-profit to oversee programmatic aspects of the venue.

In the early twentieth century, groups from as far away as New York performed in this booming railroad town. In 1912, Tilton’s newspaper the Marlinton Messenger, published in the Opera House. County fairs, basketball games, and other community events took place in the space as well. As the railroad economy changed, Tilton sold the building and throughout the rest of the century it was used for various purposes such as a lumberyard and a car dealership.

In 1991, the local Historic Landmarks Commission bought the property. At that time, there was no floor or stage in the Opera House. Through community donations and support, the Commission restored the Opera House to its present state in 1998 when the Opera House Foundation formed. The Foundation oversees the performance series which includes various musical genres from bluegrass to salsa to classical to jazz. The season also includes dance and theater.

The Opera House also serves as a community center. Many organizations host suppers, meetings square dances, and even weddings at the facility. The Foundation also hosts music jams and movie nights for Pocahontas County, West Virginia

Pocahontas County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,131 people, 835 households, and 527 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,594 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...

residents.