"Opera House- In Its Heyday"

WrWritten by Joy Dun Shoemaker

The Opera House will always be a significant landmark in Sabina's history. The artist sketch of the building has romanticized its appearance, but an actual photograph shows that it was, for a village the size of Sabina, a magnificent structure. In 1893, the Sabina Tribune published a full page article titled, "Our Township House - Synopsis of the new township building, with a review of plans and specifications - what we are paying for." It was more a detailed account than a synopsis, as it described every aspect of the plans from how the footings were to be laid (two 8 inch courses) to the size of the wainscoting on the stairways (7/8 of an inch thick, 3 inch face, matched, with 5/16 inch bead on tongue edge).

The board of township trustees who approved the erection of the Township Hall were John W. Moore, Pres., John P. Langdon, Sec., and John J. Custis. Several citizens in the village signed a petition to the board of trustees asking that the question of building a new township house be placed before the people to vote on. Quite a few people voted against the project but even so, the vote carried by a wide margin. Bonds were sold to Cincinnati parties for $16,000 to begin the work on the Township Hall. The total cost of erecting the Opera House was close to $30,000. When the bids were all in, the contract was awarded to E. L. Winchell of Zanesville. The plans and specifications were designed by W. Lewis Kramer, architect, of Findlay, Ohio. To make room for the proposed Township Hall, the trustees purchased the residence of Robert Showalter and part of the Plyly lot. The Showalter residence was torn down. A description of the building included the front entrance as having wrought iron gates which slid into recesses in the walls. On the inside of the gates were folding doors and beyond the doors there was a stairway leading to a landing or lobby room. On either side of the lobby was a ticket office and a waiting room. At the entrance to the auditorium a stairway lead up and around the inner balcony or dress circle. At the top of the main landing the large folding doors opened into the auditorium, in full view of the stage, which was 34 x 34 with a 30 foot curtain front. A footlight trough ran the length of the stage. The entire stage with space for the use of scenery was 34 x 37 feet, with a large door at the rear of the stage for receiving scenery. The auditorium and balcony had a seating capacity of 1000. There were nine exits which made it possible for a crowded house to vacate the hall in four minutes, in case of fire or other emergency. The curtain worked on a draw-pulley, sliding upward into the loft over the stage, as did the scenery. The orchestra was seated in a semi-circular form near the stage. They entered the enclosure from stairways coming up from the dressing room. On each side of the orchestra were two elegantly designed box seats. There were two restrooms in the auditorium and two dressing rooms in the back area for the use of the performers. The building had four fire escapes made of the best wrought iron. On June 21, 1894, the ceremony of laying the cornerstone took place at the new Richland Township Opera House. The C&MV train arrived at the Sabina depot at 10:23 a.m., carrying hundreds of out of town guests who came for the special occasion. The 14th Regiment Band of Columbus, one of the best bands in Ohio, lead the procession from the train station through town to the Opera House. The band included eighteen members and one of the best drum majors in the country. The ceremony at the Opera House included addresses by ex-governors J. B. Foraker and James E. Campbell. A band from Washington C.H. and a local Knights of Pythias band performed, as did the 14th Regiment band of Columbus. A chorus of local talent under the direction of W. B. Gallaher and accompanied by Myrtle Lightner presented a musical program. Not until March 5, 1895 did the Opera House formally open to the public with a play titled "The Two Sisters," by the Denman Thompson Company of New York City. It was a night of grandeur for the residents of Sabina and the people who came in from surrounding towns, as the auditorium was brilliantly lit by crystal chandeliers on the ceiling and jets on the walls, in the boxes, stage and loft, all supplied with gas from a machine in the basement. The lighting emphasized the beauty of the draperies and trimmings, the gilding and the plush upholstery. Ushers were seating the beautifully attired patrons as the pianist played the lively "Washington Post" in the hopes of moving everyone along as quickly as possible. It was a four act play and the manager insisted on having curtain time promptly at 8:15. The comments by those in attendance were quite favorable. Several people noted that the house was worth all it cost from every point of view and that everybody had the best seat in the house. In the years to come, there were nationally known performers who came to Sabina to grace the stage of the esteemed Sabina Opera House. John L. Sullivan, a famous bare-knuckle fighter and world heavyweight boxing champion, appeared on the stage, not as a fighter as he had retired by then, but to speak about his fighting days. In 1889 he went 75 rounds, and won, in a fight against Jake Kilrain. William Jennings Bryan, noted orator and statesman, traveled to Sabina to speak at the Opera House. Bryan served in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1891 to 1895 and later on was Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson. John Sullivan "The Boston Strong Boy" A local woman, Ruby Pettiford, who became nationally known as a talented elocutionist, spoke many times at the Opera House. There were many programs featuring hometown talent. On two known occasions (October 17, 1900, and November 9, year unknown), Miss Jessie Kelso, aunt of local resident Bill Kelso, presented a recital of her piano, violin, and vocal pupils. Until 1936, when the new addition, including an auditorium, was added to the high school, graduation ceremonies were held at the Opera House, as were school plays. In 1920, when the senior class was presenting their class play "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," a junior climbed out on the rafters above the stage and dropped the junior class colors over two of the actors. It got a huge laugh from the audience, although the senior class members were not amused. Stories about the great times at the Opera House are numerous by the older residents of Sabina, but most of the information from this particular article came from a scrapbook belonging to Harriett Langdon Holmes. Her grandfather was John P. Langdon, secretary of the township trustees, who worked so diligently to make possible the Richland Township Hall that we call the Opera House. Harriett's grandmother, Florence Langdon, pasted in her scrapbook the articles from the Sabina Tribune describing the plans, the building of the Township Hall, the laying of the cornerstone, and the first play presented on the stage. This is what preserving Sabina history is all about. We thank Harriett for sharing her century old scrapbook with us. Also, thanks to Bill and Jane Kelso for the information about Jessie Kelso.