Grand Opera House (Wilmington, Delaware)
Encyclopedia
The Grand Opera House, also known as The Grand or Masonic Hall and Grand Theater, is a 1,208-seat theater for the performing arts in Wilmington, Delaware
. The four-story building was built in 1871 by the Delaware Grand Lodge of Masons to serve as a Masonic Temple and auditorium
. The construction cost was $100,000. It was designed in Second Empire style by Baltimore architect Thomas Dixon
and incorporates symbolism from Freemasonry
into the cast-iron facade.
Historically, the Grand hosted a variety of operas, symphonies, Victorian
melodramas, minstrel show
s, burlesque
, vaudeville
, and other exhibitions, including performers such as Ethel Barrymore
, "Buffalo Bill" Cody
and John Philip Sousa
. For most of the twentieth century the Grand was operated exclusively as a movie theater, run by Warner Brothers
from 1930 and eventually closing in 1967. It was reopened four years later and returned to programming emphasizing classical music
, partnering with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra
, OperaDelaware, and the First State Ballet Theatre.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972 with assertions of both architectural and historical significance. It was argued it is "one of the finest remaining examples of 19th century cast iron architecture in America" and that it has important association with events and persons in Delaware's history.
In 1973, management was turned over to a non-profit organization and the building underwent extensive restoration, which was completed in 1976.
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. The four-story building was built in 1871 by the Delaware Grand Lodge of Masons to serve as a Masonic Temple and auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
. The construction cost was $100,000. It was designed in Second Empire style by Baltimore architect Thomas Dixon
Thomas Dixon (architect)
Thomas Dixon , was a Presbyterian architect born in Wilmington, Delaware and one of the founders of the Baltimore chapter of AIA. He was the father of minister Thomas Freeman Dixon, an 1893 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1871 he partnered with Charles L...
and incorporates symbolism from Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
into the cast-iron facade.
Historically, the Grand hosted a variety of operas, symphonies, Victorian
Victorian literature
Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
melodramas, minstrel show
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
s, burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, and other exhibitions, including performers such as Ethel Barrymore
Ethel Barrymore
Ethel Barrymore was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors.-Early life:Ethel Barrymore was born Ethel Mae Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second child of the actors Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew...
, "Buffalo Bill" Cody
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
and John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
. For most of the twentieth century the Grand was operated exclusively as a movie theater, run by Warner Brothers
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
from 1930 and eventually closing in 1967. It was reopened four years later and returned to programming emphasizing classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, partnering with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra
Delaware Symphony Orchestra
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in the Wilmington, Delaware. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra with the Wilmington Music School...
, OperaDelaware, and the First State Ballet Theatre.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972 with assertions of both architectural and historical significance. It was argued it is "one of the finest remaining examples of 19th century cast iron architecture in America" and that it has important association with events and persons in Delaware's history.
In 1973, management was turned over to a non-profit organization and the building underwent extensive restoration, which was completed in 1976.
See also
- Delaware Children's TheatreDelaware Children's TheatreThe Delaware Children's Theatre serves as a community theatre in Wilmington, Delaware. The theatre company occupies the historic New Century Club building.-Theatre Company:...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wilmington, DelawareNational Register of Historic Places listings in Wilmington, DelawareThis is a list of properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Wilmington, Delaware:This page was transferred for reasons of size from National Register of Historic Places listings in New Castle County, Delaware, of which it is an integral part...