The Howell Opera House is an

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

located in

Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United Kingdom *Howell, Lincolnshire, England In the United States *Howell, Georgia * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood of Evansville, Indiana *Howell, Michigan *Howell, Missouri *Howell, Utah *Howell Cou ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The site is listed as historic by The

Michigan State Historic Preservation Office The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is one of 59 state historic preservation offices established according to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 that plays a role in implementing federal historic preservation policy in the ...

. It is also listed on The

National Historic Register The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as part of the Howell Downtown Historic District.

History

The Howell Opera House is a Victorian-style building with a seating capacity of 1,000 people.
“The Opera House: Past and Present.” ''The Opera House''. Livingston Arts Council, 2010. Web. 21 Sept. 2011 Plans for the theater were drawn and executed by

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

architect, Almon C. Varney at the cost of $10,000. Construction began in 1880 by Hunter and Holmes Contractors and doors were opened to patrons on December 30, 1881.Gray, D.J. “The Opera House.” ''The Howell Bicentennial History''. Michigan: Howell, 1975. 178-84. Print. The building is located at 123 W. Grand River. As the central part of the town, the edifice served not only for artistic performances but as a venue for several local occasions such as high school commencement. The theater also served, for a short duration, as home to the Livingston County Circuit Court in 1889. The Howell Opera House was first owned by the Stair Brothers, E.D. and Orin, who assumed ownership in 1884. The theater was later purchased by Arthur Garland in 1893 who utilized a portion of the space to produce custom-tailored suits. In 1923, the building was closed by the fire marshal. This brought an end to its intended use as quarters for entertainment. For more than 70 years, The Howell Opera House served as storage for a local hardware store.

Renovation

In 2000, The Livingston Arts Council purchased The Howell Opera House with plans to restore the patronage to function, once again, as a theater. Renovations began in 2001 with a slow start due to lack of funding. In 2007, the first installment of the development plan had been completed. Renovations were made solely to the first floor. These renovations include refinished flooring and walls as well as new stairways. Plans have also been made for restoration of the second floor which houses the stage and balcony. The renovated first floor of the Opera House is now available to rent for special events such as weddings and parties.

References

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External links

Howell Opera House official siteThe Christman CompanyHowell Opera House documentary
Buildings and structures in Livingston County, Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites Opera houses in Michigan Theatres in Michigan Victorian architecture in Michigan Tourist attractions in Livingston County, Michigan Historic district contributing properties in Michigan Theatres completed in 1881 Music venues completed in 1881 1881 establishments in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Livingston County, Michigan Opera houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan