Claremont City Hall

Last updated
Claremont City Hall
Claremont Opera House (City Hall), New Hampshire.jpg
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationTremont Square, Claremont, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°22′21″N72°20′15″W / 43.37250°N 72.33750°W / 43.37250; -72.33750 Coordinates: 43°22′21″N72°20′15″W / 43.37250°N 72.33750°W / 43.37250; -72.33750
Area0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built1895
Built by Hira R. Beckwith
Architect Lamb & Rich
Architectural styleRenaissance
Part of Central Business District (ID73000176)
NRHP reference No. 73000176 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 26, 1973
Designated CPFebruary 21, 1978

Claremont City Hall, also known as the Claremont Opera House, is located at 58 Opera House Square in the heart of Claremont, New Hampshire, United States.

Contents

Description

The monumental Italian Renaissance Revival two-story brick and brownstone building was designed by New York City architect Charles A. Rich, an alumnus of nearby Dartmouth College, and built between 1895 and 1897. Hira R. Beckwith, an architect in Claremont, was the contractor. Many of the construction materials for the building came from the surrounding region. The foundation consists of Green Mountain rock, and the base was dressed Connecticut River brownstone from Springfield, Massachusetts. The major part of the exterior is built from nearly one million bricks from Lebanon, New Hampshire. The original design of the building included first floor that housed a meeting space seating 700, while the upper floor housed the "opera house" (auditorium), which seated nearly 1,000 and included a stage adequate for mounting theatrical productions. Rich and Beckwith spent two years and $62,000 to construct the building as a regional center for entertainment, cultural, community and political events. The building was dedicated on June 22, 1897. [2]

The auditorium has a frescoed ceiling and a decorative wall frieze culminating with a proscenium arch adorned with a combination of basswood, painted cream, and a gold leafed molded plaster-work in high relief. Much of the gold leaf is original. There is a circular multicolored fresco of the New Hampshire state seal seated above the proscenium arch. Total seating capacity for the auditorium is 783. [3] In 1960, the first floor of the building was partitioned to house additional city offices, and the opera house was closed in 1963 citing lack of use. A restoration committee was created in the 1970s to spearhead the opera house's restoration and modernization, and after a lengthy awareness and fundraising campaign, it was renovated and reopened in 1979. [4] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. [1]

History

In the early 1900s the Claremont Opera House was the entertainment center for the Upper Connecticut River Valley area. Much of this early success was due to Harry Eaton, local druggist and manager of the Opera House for 32 years. Eaton arranged for theatrical and musical acts, vaudeville minstrel shows, and films to perform in Claremont. John Philip Sousa's Band of Fifty, with three soloists, notably appeared in concert for a 1906 Saturday matinee. [5]

Today, the entire building is seen as a historic treasure. In addition to city offices and the performance space, the Claremont Police Department, District Court, City offices, and Claremont City Council chambers are also located on premises. The Opera House itself, now run by a Board of Directors, continues to present a wide variety of local, regional, and touring entertainment to the public. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

Auditorium Building (Chicago) United States historic place

The Auditorium Building in Chicago is one of the best-known designs of Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. Completed in 1889, the building is located at the northwest corner of South Michigan Avenue and Ida B. Wells Drive. The building was designed to be a multi-use complex, including offices, a theater, and a hotel. As a young apprentice, Frank Lloyd Wright worked on some of the interior design.

Academy of Music (Philadelphia)

The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at 240 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its location is between Locust and Manning Streets in the Avenue of the Arts area of Center City.

Newberry Opera House Theater in Newberry, South Carolina, United States

The Newberry Opera House, located in Newberry, South Carolina, is a fully restored historic building that is a live-performance space for popular artists, touring theatre companies, and local organizations. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is located in Denver, Colorado as part of the large Denver Performing Arts Complex. It seats 2,225. The Caulkins family pledged $7 million towards the enhancement of the lyric opera house and adjacent public spaces which were constructed inside of the Newton Auditorium.

Maryland Theatre (Hagerstown) United States historic place

The Maryland Theatre is a music and entertainment venue located in the Arts and Entertainment District of downtown Hagerstown, Maryland. It was built in 1915, partially destroyed by fire in 1974, reopened in 1978, and expanded into a full performing arts complex in 2019. The theatre's seating capacity is 1,279 people, and it hosts performances of symphony orchestras, country artists, comedians, children's shows, pop stars, recitals, stage shows, and others. Over 81,000 patrons attended performances at the Maryland Theatre in 2005, making it one of Maryland's premier venues for the performing arts. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra performs there regularly and has been headquartered in the building since 2019. The theater features a fully restored Wurlitzer theatre organ.

Newport Opera House United States historic place

The Newport Opera House is a historic civic building and performing arts venue at 20 Main Street in the heart of downtown Newport, the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1886, it was billed as having the largest stage in New England north of Boston, and continues to serve as a performance venue today. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as "Town Hall and Courthouse", in 1980, for its architecture and civic roles, and is a contributing property in the Newport Downtown Historic District.

Littleton Town Building United States historic place

The Littleton Town Building, also known as the Littleton Opera House, is a historic municipal building at 1 Union Street in Littleton, New Hampshire. Built on a steep embankment overlooking the Ammonoosuc River in 1894–5, it is a good example of a Late Victorian municipal building, which continues to serve that purpose today. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Martha Ellen Auditorium United States historic place

The Martha Ellen Auditorium, now the State Theatre, was built 1916 in Central City, the county seat of Merrick County in the state of Nebraska in the midwestern United States. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as a well-preserved example of a Nebraska opera house.

Auditorium and Music Hall Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Auditorium and Music Hall is a historic building in Portland, Oregon, in the United States, designed by English architect Frederick Manson White. It was built by Emil C. Jorgensen and was completed in 1895. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Town Hall (Sandwich, New Hampshire) United States historic place

The Town Hall of Sandwich, New Hampshire, is located at 8 Maple Street in the village of Center Sandwich. Built in 1913, it is a handsome example of Colonial Revival architecture, and has been a prominent focal point of the town's civic and social life since its construction. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Wakefield Town Hall and Opera House United States historic place

The Wakefield Town Hall and Opera House is a historic municipal building at 2 High Street in the Sanbornville village of Wakefield, New Hampshire. Built in 1895, it is a prominent local example of Romanesque architecture, and has housed civic and social activities since its construction. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Acworth Silsby Library United States historic place

The Acworth Silsby Library is the public library of Acworth, New Hampshire, located in the town center at 5 Lynn Hill Road. Built in 1891 and funded by Acworth native Ithiel Homer Silsby, the building is a distinctive local example of Romanesque architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Central Business District (Claremont, New Hampshire) United States historic place

The Central Business District of Claremont, New Hampshire, is centered on Broad Street Park and the Claremont Opera House, and the area between the park and the Sugar River, whose power was responsible for Claremont's growth in the 19th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Charlestown Town Hall United States historic place

Charlestown Town Hall is the seat of municipal government of Charlestown, New Hampshire. It is located just off Main Street at 29 Summer Street. It was built in 1872-73, and is a design of Edward Dow, one of New Hampshire's leading architects of the period. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and is a contributing property to the Charlestown Main Street Historic District.

Newport Downtown Historic District (New Hampshire) Historic district in New Hampshire, United States

The Newport Downtown Historic District encompasses the 19th century heart of Newport, New Hampshire, the county seat of Sullivan County. The district includes the major commercial and civic buildings which line Main Street between Depot Street and the Sugar River. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Stevens Memorial Hall United States historic place

Stevens Memorial Hall is the historic town hall of Chester, New Hampshire. The building, a large wood-frame structure completed in 1910, is located in the center of Chester at the junction of New Hampshire Routes 121 and 102. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It served as the center of the town's civic business until 2000, when town offices were relocated to a former school.

West Rutland Town Hall United States historic place

The West Rutland Town Hall is located at Main and Marble Streets in the village center of West Rutland, Vermont. Built in 1908-09, it is a fine and restrained example of Colonial Revival architecture, and originally housed town offices, the public library, and a community meeting space. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Damon Hall United States historic place

Damon Hall, also known as Hartland Town Hall, is located at the junction of United States Route 5, Quechee Road, and Vermont Route 12 in the village center of Hartland, Vermont. Built in 1914-15 as a memorial to the locally prominent businessman William E. Damon, it is a fine local example of Colonial Revival architecture, and has served the town in many capacities since its construction. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Waterville Opera House and City Hall United States historic place

The Waterville Opera House and City Hall is a historic civic building at Castonguay Square in downtown Waterville, Maine. 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 in 1976.

Barre City Hall and Opera House United States historic place

Barre City Hall and Opera House is a historic government building at 6 North Main Street in downtown Barre, Vermont. Built in 1899, it houses the city offices, and its upper floors have served for much of the time since its construction as a performing arts venue. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Claremont City Hall". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  3. "Claremont Opera House - history". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  4. "History". Claremont Opera House. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  5. 1 2 http://ctriverbyways.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/KMFINALClaremont-City-Hall-Opera-House-Long-Narrative.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]