Village Squire, 1980-03, Page 6(Queen); the Thames River ran along the back of the parcel of
land. Only the most competent of local contractors, architects,
artisans and carpenters were hired. The turreted neo -Gothic
structure towered three storeys high and was flanked by two
lower limestone buildings that belonged to Hutton Bros.
Although the other buildings were less dramatic than the Opera
House, the three combined to form an impressive block - the
Hutton Block.
Street level of the Opera House was leased for commercial use
and contained various, shops through the years, including a
grocery store, a Chinese laundry, a CPR station, a Salvation
Army barracks and an undertaking establishment.
800 SEATS
On the second storey was an 800 -seat auditorium - one of the
finest theatrical stages of the day. A polished winding staircase
at the northern entrance of the Opera House lobby led patrons up
to the box office and music hall. An ornate wooden balcony
supported by wooden posts faced the stage.
At the other end of the building another stairway led to the
third floor, which was reserved for the Oddfellows' Hall but also
contained committee rooms, a library and "other conveniences"
fitting for the time.
Many lavish events took place in the auditorium -
Shakespearean plays, musical comedies, church music,
vaudeville shows, fancy dress balls and political rallies. Sir John
A. Macdonald is reported to have spoken from the stage during
his last political campaign.
Unfortunately one of the least successful performances was
given by the Holman Opera Company at the Grand Opening of
the Opera House on October 6, 1880. The company received
disparaging remarks from newspaper critics and spectators
alike. Ironically one of the most successful performances was
given by the Boston -English Opera Company on May 1, 1919 -
the final performance in the old Opera House.
The Oddfellows encountered financial difficulties and sold the
building for $10,000 in 1904 to Church and Watt Ltd., harness
and saddlery manufacturers, with the understanding the new
owners would leave the auditorium intact and use only the first
and third floors. Church and Watt Ltd. kept their word; in fact,
the music hall outlasted the company which declared bankruptcy
in 1907.
Minstrel shows, then vaudeville shows, silent movies and
finally talking movies undermined interest in establishments
such as the Opera House. From 1907 to 1973, the building was
owned by a series of flour milling companies, and gradually the
grand old lady of entertainment was turned into a mill house.
The first signs of a milling industry on the Hutton Block were
an elevator for grain storage up to 50,000 bushels and a rail line
behind the buildings. The auditorium of the Opera House was
invaded in 1920 when the horseshoe' -shaped balcony was gutted
and replaced by a cement floor supported by cement posts.
A 250 horsepower Westinghouse motor sat on the original
auditorium floor, and purifiers, dusters and dust collectors were
installed on the new third floor. On the top storey, where the
Oddfellows once met, six centrifugal reels and a number of
sifters were mounted. Flour and feed were dropped down a chute
that went across the lane to rail cars at the back of the buildings.
By 1973, Great Star Flour Mills, the only milling company to
prosper on the site, had run out of space for expansion. They sold
the entire Opera House Block, including the Oddfellows'
building, an old stone mill, a warehouse and an armoury building
to Trifid Realty Developments Ltd. - a St. Marys -based firm.
CLEAN UP CAMPAIGN
John King, one of the principals of Trifid, recalls a massive 2
to 3 year clean-up campaign. A lot of junk was left in the
buildings, and most of it was covered with layers of rotten flour.
Even after the clean-up, it was difficult to imagine the original
grandeur of the interior of the buildings. Milling machinery had
been removed and sold by the previous owners, leaving gaping
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