The Waterville Opera House and City Hall is a historic civic building at Castonguay Square (Common and Front Streets) in downtown
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The city is home to Colby College and Thomas College. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the populatio ...
. Built at the turn of the 20th century, it is one of a small number of multifunction civic buildings, housing both a live performance venue and municipal facilities, functions it continues to perform today. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
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 ...
in 1976.
Description and history
The Waterville Opera House and City Hall stands in downtown Waterville, at the northwest corner of Common and Front Streets. Its main facade faces south, and is separated from Common Street by a parking area and Castonguay Square, which extends on the north side of Common Street between Main and Front Streets. The hall is a large three-story brick building with Colonial Revival styling. The main facade is nine bays wide, with the center three projecting slightly. The municipal offices are accessed via an entrance at the center of the projecting, set recessed in a round-arch opening and flanked by windows in similar openings, with access gained by a flights of side-facing stairs due to an elevated basement. Second-floor windows are tall and have rounded tops, while the third floor has very short windows. Stone stringcourses separate the granite basement from the first floor, and the first from the second. The opera house is accessed via an entrance on the building's west side. The building interior houses municipal offices in the basement and first floor, while the upper levels are taken up by the facilities of the opera house, which include a lobby, large auditorium, and backstage area. The auditorium features original period Baroque plasterwork, and a painted curtain.
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The building is a fine example of a somewhat common trend in Maine's municipalities at the turn of the 20th century, the construction of a multipurpose building housing both city offices and a performance and meeting venue. This hall was designed by George G. Adams of
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...
, and was built between 1898 and 1902. It has hosted local functions including amateur theatrical productions, as well as touring theatrical productions. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
it became popular as a movie venue, but has recently seen a resurgence of interest in live events.
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Theatrical Productions
See also
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References
External links
Waterville Opera House web site
{{National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in Kennebec County, Maine
Colonial Revival architecture in Maine
Government buildings completed in 1897
Buildings and structures in Kennebec County, Maine
Waterville, Maine
City halls in Maine
City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Opera houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
1897 establishments in Maine