Opera Houses of Jones County

From the Opera Houses of Iowa book by George D. Glenn and Richard L. Poole

 

Anamosa

            Grand Opera House, ca. 1896 (1896-1921), E. Main St. Now the Evans Theatre, the three story limestone/brick building measures 40'6" by 136 '. It was remodeled inside after a fire in the 1940s; the proscenium now is 32' wide x 20' high; stage is 20' deep, 36' wide. Originally the proscenium, was 24' wide x 24' high; footlights to back wall, 25'; curtain line to footlights, 5' distance between side walls, 50'; 35' between fly girders. Rigging loft, 35', 18' high grooves. 15' depth under stage, 1 trap, center. Grooves could be taken up flush with fly gallery. Seated 850. In 1921 it had a 16'6" x 12' movie screen; 60' throw. Building was further damaged by fire in Jan. 1984. Mgrs. C.R. Howard, Clifford L Niles (1907).

            Holt's Opera Hall, ca 1883 (1882-1889), seated 400.Stage was 22' wide x 18' deep. It had a "fair amount of scenery."

            Lehmkuhl's Hall, ca 1878 (1878-1889), seated 300. Stage was 12' wide x 16' deep.

 

Cascade (Dubuque County)

            Crawford's Hall, ca. 1883 (1883-1889), 301 1^st Ave. W. Seated 500. Also called Cascade Opera House. Razed 1967. Mgrs. Crawford Bros.

 

Monticello

            Kinsella Hall, ca. 1889, seated 300.

            Monticello Opera House, ca. 1883 (1883-1921), ground-floor hall seating 800. Proscenium was 20' wide x 18' high; stage was 60' wide x 16' high x 20' deep; 5' apron, 5' depth under stage. Had 2 traps, center and back. 16' high grooves. Electric light and steam heat (1899), Mgrs. Rosa & Foster, H. Tiarks (1889), G. E, Bishop (1896), A. Kempf (1903).

 

Olin

            Opera House. Now the Legion Hall

            Opera House. Burned.

 

Onslow

            IOOF Hall, Lodge #398, 1895.  Originally two stories, the Masons removed the upper story in 1960. 30' x 69'.

 

Oxford Junction

            Holup Hall, ca. 1897, seated 100. Stage was 20' wide x 10' deep. Mgr. D. Ferguson.

            National Hall, ca. 1883 (1883-1889), seated 300. Mgr. F. Nowacheck.

            ZCBJ Hall (ca. 1910). Three-story brick, 52' x 89', the theatre was on the ground floor. Used as a dance hall, the stage was ceilinged off, and enclosed by a box set made of old woodland flats by Sosman & Landis. Proscenium was 17' wide x 14' high; curtain line to back 16', with 6' of wing space on either side. The two roll drops above the stage are now in the Museum of Repertoire American. Mt. Pleasant (one is gorgeous front drop, "A View of Prague"). A stack of flats backstage are by Sosman & Landis.

 

Wyoming

            Wyoming Opera House, ca. 1900 (1912-1921), Main St. Two-story brick, the opera house was on the second floor. Building is 75' x 60'. Then room is now used for storage – the stage has been removed. The Citizens' State Bank, on the ground floor, has an oil painting of the building as the opera house. Originally the proscenium was 20' wide x 18' high; stage was 30' wide x 18' high x 19' deep; 4' apron. Grooves were 13'6" above the stage, 2 dressing rooms. In 1921 stage was 40' wide x 18' high x 14' deep. Mgrs. W. G. Krouse, Wyoming Amusement Club (1921).