Rochester Opera House
Encyclopedia
The Rochester Opera House is an 800+ seat theater in the city hall of Rochester
, a city in Strafford County
, New Hampshire
, United States. It has the unique architectural feature of a fully moveable floor, perhaps the last of this design in existence.
, including Waterville, Maine
, Dover, New Hampshire
, and Derry, New Hampshire
. Construction costing nearly $62,000, the Rochester Opera House accommodated 1,012 people and featured a grand proscenium
, intricate stencil
ing, mural
s, and a suspended horseshoe balcony
. One of its most interesting features was its unique moving floor system. The floor of the opera house can be lowered to become a flat surface and be used for dances, town hall meetings, etc. or raised to a tilt for viewing shows. Adams equipped four different buildings with this flooring system. However, due to fires and other events, the Rochester Opera House is the only known theater in the United States to still use this type of flooring. It is truly an architectural treasure.
Like most buildings, over time the Rochester Opera House started to deteriorate. Restoration plans for the opera house started in the mid 1980s fronted by the Rochester Heritage Trust and the Arts Rochester Organization. An early challenge facing these groups was to uncover and fully appreciate the mechanics present in the unique floor-moving system. Understanding such complexities was aided considerably by an extensive study finished in June 1985 by Nancy Alberto and Heidi Barrett, students of the Department of Civil Engineering at the nearby University of New Hampshire
. Estimates for restoring the opera house and also establishing an endowment fund for maintenance and program scheduling ranged up to $1.2 million. Due to the enormity of the task and the size of the necessary costs, the first effort to restore the opera house only accomplished improvements to meet fire and safety codes, as well as much-needed audience amenities.
It took more than a decade for another attempt to be made to restore the opera house. In 1996, after Mayor Harvey Bernier Jr. took office, restoration continued. Restoration focused mostly on bringing the unique flooring back to working condition, restoring the original stenciling, and bringing the opera house back to its original state. After only an impressive eighteen months, with over $300,000 of donated money and goods (above what the city had already agreed to pay), and ten thousand hours of volunteer labor, the Rochester Opera House restoration was completed. Following nearly a quarter century of dormancy, the opera house reopened its doors to the public in 1997.
As well as being an important building for entertainment in Rochester, the Rochester Opera House is a hub for political activity in the city. The opera house has hosted speeches by numerous politicians and famous individuals including Barack Obama
, John McCain
, and Bill
and Hillary Clinton.
After celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008, the Rochester Opera House is still in operation today. Restored to look like it did over ninety years ago, the opera house offers the visitor a unique viewing experience.
Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
, a city in Strafford County
Strafford County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 112,233 people, 42,581 households, and 27,762 families residing in the county. The population density was 304 people per square mile . There were 45,539 housing units at an average density of 124 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States. It has the unique architectural feature of a fully moveable floor, perhaps the last of this design in existence.
History
The Rochester Opera House was built in 1908, designed by George Gilman Adams. Adams built six other municipal buildings for cities around New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, including Waterville, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, Dover, New Hampshire
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
, and Derry, New Hampshire
Derry, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...
. Construction costing nearly $62,000, the Rochester Opera House accommodated 1,012 people and featured a grand proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
, intricate stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
ing, mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s, and a suspended horseshoe balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
. One of its most interesting features was its unique moving floor system. The floor of the opera house can be lowered to become a flat surface and be used for dances, town hall meetings, etc. or raised to a tilt for viewing shows. Adams equipped four different buildings with this flooring system. However, due to fires and other events, the Rochester Opera House is the only known theater in the United States to still use this type of flooring. It is truly an architectural treasure.
Like most buildings, over time the Rochester Opera House started to deteriorate. Restoration plans for the opera house started in the mid 1980s fronted by the Rochester Heritage Trust and the Arts Rochester Organization. An early challenge facing these groups was to uncover and fully appreciate the mechanics present in the unique floor-moving system. Understanding such complexities was aided considerably by an extensive study finished in June 1985 by Nancy Alberto and Heidi Barrett, students of the Department of Civil Engineering at the nearby University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
. Estimates for restoring the opera house and also establishing an endowment fund for maintenance and program scheduling ranged up to $1.2 million. Due to the enormity of the task and the size of the necessary costs, the first effort to restore the opera house only accomplished improvements to meet fire and safety codes, as well as much-needed audience amenities.
It took more than a decade for another attempt to be made to restore the opera house. In 1996, after Mayor Harvey Bernier Jr. took office, restoration continued. Restoration focused mostly on bringing the unique flooring back to working condition, restoring the original stenciling, and bringing the opera house back to its original state. After only an impressive eighteen months, with over $300,000 of donated money and goods (above what the city had already agreed to pay), and ten thousand hours of volunteer labor, the Rochester Opera House restoration was completed. Following nearly a quarter century of dormancy, the opera house reopened its doors to the public in 1997.
Current controversies
As with any arts venue, the Rochester Opera House has had times of financial difficulties. As the centerpiece of the city hall, the City of Rochester is obviously very involved with the Opera House, both physically and financially. Local political elections frequently have a component of discussion about funding for the Opera House, settling into two sides: those supporting the Opera House as a vital economic engine for the downtown, and those who feel that taxpayer dollars should not be used for the arts. In 2009 the City Council voted to support the Opera House by funding many of the utility costs for the Opera House.Current activities
The Rochester Opera House is a very important architectural and historical building. While also housing the city hall, it has been a vital part of most all the important historical moments in Rochester, New Hampshire. To this day, it is still a center for politics and entertainment in the community.As well as being an important building for entertainment in Rochester, the Rochester Opera House is a hub for political activity in the city. The opera house has hosted speeches by numerous politicians and famous individuals including Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, and Bill
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Hillary Clinton.
After celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008, the Rochester Opera House is still in operation today. Restored to look like it did over ninety years ago, the opera house offers the visitor a unique viewing experience.
External links
- Rochester Opera House official website - with lists of shows and concerts