Form Prepared By Nathalie Lo Wright, Survey/National Register Coordinator organization - date October 1996 street & number - - telephone_(614) 297-2470 - state Ohio - zip code Submit the following items with the completed form: A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. - telephone (419) 994-3282 city or town_Loudonville . zip code44842 a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1hours per response including time for reviewing instructions,gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form.
Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect name 43211 Photographs Columbus Zone Maps Continuation Sheets Acreage of Property less than one Easting Verbal Boundary Description Additional items Village of Loudonville UTM References Additional Documentation Property Owner County and State Ohio Historic Preservation Office Boundary Justification City Hall and Opera House Northing name/title Name of Property Representative black and white photographs of the property. (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.) (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) city or town Geographical Data Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.) A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. 156 North Water Street 567 Hudson St of this form to the Chief,Administrative Services Division,National Park Service,P.0.Box37127,Washington,DC200137127:and the Office of OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Ashland County, Ohio Statement of Significance The Loudonville City Hall and Opera House is nominated under Criterion C as a distinctive and well preserved example of a late 19th-early 20th century building type, the combination town hall Built toward the end of the opera heyday, the Loudonville City Hall and Opera House represents the traditional municipal/opera house building type.
Loudonville had followed the late nineteenth century trend of constructing this particular building type with its first town hall in 1874. The choice to construct a second building of this type illustrates the city's satisfaction with the first. type throughout Ohio. Four other municipal/opera house buildings are listed in the National Hayesville Opera House, 1886, Ashland County (N.R., 1976), Wellington Town Hall and Opera (N.R., 1984). The Play House in Williamsburg, Virginia is commonly believed to be the first "opera house" in America. Although its date of construction is unknown, most scholars of opera and theater history assign a date of 1722. Other early opera houses from the mid 1700s were located in cities such as New York, Charleston, Philadelphia, and Annapolis. Performers were typically English and travelled with their families in touring companies.
it from various religious groups. Believing that it promoted sin of all types, opponents spoke out lecture or with a misleading performance title. Under considerable pressure from both performers and supporters of opera/theater, Congress finally repealed the earlier laws in 1789. Opera continued to be opposed by some religious groups until well into the 1800s. (8-86) Opera houses in the United States have a long history, dating back to the pre-revolutionary era. 1778.
Despite the laws, performances still took place, often under disguise of being a moral The second Loudonville opera house continued the earlier established tradition of this building Continuation Sheet Washington who noted opera performances in his ledger, there was considerable opposition to for independence hanging overhead, the performance of opera (and other extravagant luxuries like Although opera was a popular form of entertainment, enjoyed by many including George National Register of Historic Places gambling) was declared illegal by Congress in 1774. A second anti-theater law was passed in Register of Historic Places:Monroeville Township Hall,1885,Licking County (N.R.,1981), House,1885,Lorain County (N.R.,1979) and Cedarville Opera House,1888,Greene County and opera house.
By the end of the Civil War negative attitudes about opera had abated."The increased appetite NPS Form 10-900-a Section number - Page -1 against it and going so far as to wreck a New York theater in 1765.With the looming struggle NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Ashland County, Ohio Statement of Significance for popular entertainment overcame much of the lingering rural religious hostility to theater." villages were beginning to build their own opera houses, especially during the prosperity that followed the war. "The Ohio Valley and the Plains states were the center of small-town opera- their modest towns, many local politicians felt that an opera house was as essential to the community as a church or jail.
An opera house provided a sense of urbanity and many small communities used them as an enticement for the railroad companies to establish a stop in their perform in these newly established opera houses. Isolated, rural mining towns of all types often established opera houses as a much needed form of entertainment. Often the only form of As small communities felt the necessity to construct opera houses in the post-Civil War period, throughout the eighteenth and early-to-mid nineteenth centuries in places like Providence, Rhode Island, Augusta, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Economically, especially for a small town, it made sense to combine the two functions into one building form. The money raised from the opera could be used to help repay the debt incurred for the construction of the new commercail space.
These were often built by fraternal organizations such as the Eagles who were very similar, the commercially oriented opera houses did not have the same motivation as the governmental ones. The commerical opera houses were private investments designed to make a profit off of both the commercial and performance spaces. The municipal opera houses were born of a desire to enhance the cultural status of the community. This second more commercially oriented opera house is represented on the National Register by municipal structure. Continuation Sheet villages. Conversely, the railroad greatly facilitated the ability of touring opera companies to National Register of Historic Places government offices.
There was precedence for entertainment activities taking place in steadily increasing and contemporary buildings were desired that conveyed the prosperous status would then use the building for their meetings.While the building type and financial motives government meeting spaces with documented accounts of opera performancesin court rooms of the community.A common building type emerged that combined an opera house with In some communities a similar building type emerged that combined the opera house with they were also realizing the need for either new or improved town halls.Populations were (Dizikes,269) Most large cities had an opera house by the Civil War period.Small cities and the Woodward Opera House,1852,Knox County (N.R.,1975),Bell's Opera House,1894, house culture.(Dizikes,274) Wishing to appear more cosmopolitan and attract newcomers to Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Highland County,(N.R,1980),Sorg Opera House,1890,Butler County (N.R.,1978),and Section number - Page (8-86) NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Ashland County, Ohio The performance space was housed on the second and/or third floors, while the first floor houses seated between five hundred to one thousand people. The larger ones were more likely words OPERA HOUSE." (Dizikes, 270) The Loudonville City Hall and Opera House differs slightly from the prescribed opera house combination building. The opera house begins on the first floor level, whereas, in the earlier combination buildings it did not begin until the second floor. All six of the currently listed opera They are also plainer in style. These differences may be attributed to the late construction of the Loudonville City Hall and Opera House. The others all date from the late 1800s and represent the building type closer to its height of popularity.
Loudonville was founded in 1814 by James Loudon Priest originally from Massachusetts. Priest owned a large tract of land surrounding the area that was to become Loudonville. In August of 1814 Priest surveyed lots for the development of a village as well as donating land for a centrally located public park. Stephen Butler the first settler in the Loudonville vicinity, assisted Priest with the layout and survey of the new village. When the new county of Ashland was formed in passed by as the new county seat. This was due in part to the canal extension that was slated for Loudonville never being constructed. Loudonville was incorporated in 1850 with a population of 360. Along with incorporation, the population steadily increased throughout the nineteenth century. By 1873 the population had $7000 bond was issued and a brick town hall/opera house was completed in 1874.
1846 from the surrounding counties, Loudonville was included within this formation. Although Continuation Sheet to have a gallery or balcony. Interior decoration varied, but was less ornate than the large opera houses in Ohio contain the opera on the second and third floors, which was the typical design. Statement of Significance contained commercial space or governmental offices. Typically, the theater had a separate entry with a stairway that lead to the lobby and ticket window on the second floor.Small-town opera National Register of Historic Places doubled since the village had been incorporated and the need for a town hall was realized.A many of the new county political offices were filled by men from Loudonville, the village was Stuart's Opera House,1879,Athens County (N.R.,1978).
neighbors except for the occasional more ornate pediment or gable and the crowning glory-the 1850s also brought the railroad to Loudonville.Though it remained a small village the Section number _8 Page NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Ashland County, Ohio Since completion of the first town hall, the village of Loudonville had continued to increase in too expensive to invest additional money into the old structure, the city council felt its demolition Several articles in the Loudonville Democrat were printed in support of the bond. Two articles are of particular interest as they demonstrate the philosophy of a small town wanting an opera house in order to be viewed as contemporary. The first article was printed on February 18, 1909.
It was a reminder of the upcoming bond election to be held on March 1st. Along with the reminder was an anecdote describing the situation a month earlier when a demonstration by the Farmers Institute did not have adequate space in the current city hall. As a result the farmers had poked fun of the citizens of the city. The second article, printed closer to the election on February 25, 1909, urged voters to vote "yes, in order to be up-to-date and classed with the existing city hall, and the construction of the new structure. By June, Vernon Redding of contractor. (Attachment 1) Vernon Redding of nearby Mansfield, Ohio was chosen as architect for the new Loudonville with the noted Akron firm of Weary and Kramer.
Over the next fourteen years, Redding schools, banks, churches, commercial buildings, and private residences throughout northern Ohio, including the cities of Sandusky, Akron, Newark, Springfield, and Wooster. Construction of the new city hall and opera house building commenced in the summer of 1909 and continued into 1910. Despite the date of 1909 given on the front facade, the building was and construction of a new building on the site was the most appropriate course of action. A Continuation Sheet the Carnegie Library, and numerous churches and schools. He was also the architect for libraries, progressive towns of these progressive times." (Loudonville Democrat, 1) population with the number of residents reaching 1800 by 1909. In the early months of 1909 National Register of Historic Places special bond election of $24,000 was to be held in March, 1909, to fund the construction.
not completed until December, 1910. public building. Redding, a member of the AIA Columbus chapter, was quite active within the Following passage of the bond city council began the bidding process for demolition of the Statement of Significance region.Redding moved to Mansfield in 1896 to establish his own practice after twelve years discussion was underway to build a new city hall and opera house. The existing city hall was designed some of Mansfield's more notable buildings, including the May building (N.R.,1986), 35years old and had been condemned by the State Bureau of Inspection.Deciding that it was Mansfield had been selected as the building's architect and Perley M.Pettitof Coshocton as Section number - Page 8-86) NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Ashland County, Ohio Statement of Significance A second bond issue of $9000 for the furnishing and decorating of the interior was passed in March, 1910. As the building neared completion city council decided to keep control of its management. Two councilmen were appointed to manage the new facility and reservations for the management of the opera house is now leased out. On December 15, 1910 the Loudonville Democrat announced the grand opening of the opera house to be held on Tuesday, December 27th. A second advertisement followed a week later (Attachment 2) The Ashland Times in Ashland, the county seat, also advertised the grand opening of the Loudonville Opera House. opera and live performances. Many small town opera houses were converted to movie theaters, while some closed altogether.
The Loudonville Opera House was fortunate to never have closed As with other opera houses it made the transition to movie theater beginning with silent films. Although the types of entertainment have changed at the Loudonville Opera House and some alteration has occurred in the municipal spaces, the building retains its integrity. The combination town hall and opera house was the ultimate symbol of the community's commitment to the 1909-1910, is a perfect illustration of the typical combination town hall and opera house of the with information on obtaining tickets to the grand opening performance of "Flaming Arrow." (8-86) Continuation Sheet promotion of itself as a cultural entity.
The Loudonville City Hall and Opera House, built in National Register of Historic Places The growing popularity of moving pictures by the 1920s brought a decline in the popularity of the performance space were to be arranged through them. While the city still owns the building, Recently live performances have begun returning to the stage. Loudonville City Hall & Opera House late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Section number - Page NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Ashland County, Ohio Dizikes, John. Opera in America: A Cultural History. New Haven and London: Yale University Heyde, J.M., A Brief Centennial History of Loudonville, Ohio. 1914. Peyser, Ethel and Bauer, Marion. How Opera Grew: From Ancient Greece to the Present Day. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1956 Steenrod, Spencer S., Stuart Opera House.
Nelsonville, OH: The Nelsonville Tribune, 1978. (Deceased). Los Angeles: Hennessey & Ingalls, Inc., 1970. Interview with Loudonville Mayor, Thomas R. Miller. November 16, 1996. Loudonville. Verbal Boundary Description Bibliography Continuation Sheet buildings are included on the site. Boundary Justification Withey, Henry F. and Elsie Rathburn, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects Places, 1986. Press, 1993. The nominated property consists of Lot 435 of the City of Loudonville plat. National Register of Historic Places Sonneck, O.G., Early Opera in America.New York: Benjamin Blom, Inc., 1963. The boundary includes the City Hall and Opera House located on its original site.No other Loudonville Democrat.Articles ranging from February 4,1909 to January 12,1911.
Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Williams, Judith B.May Realty Building.Nomination to the National Register of Historic Section number 9, 10 Page - (8-86) NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Section number Photos Page - Loudonville City Hall and Opera House 1. Front and side facade 2. Rear and side facade 3. Opera house detail, double tiered balconies 4. Opera house lobby, ticket window to the right 6. Staircase leading to balcony of opera house 7. View of opera house seating 8. View of box seating 10. View from balcony 11. View of backstage stairs leading to dressing rooms 13. Backstage door leading outside 14. City council meeting room 16. Original city safe 18. Original entrance to jail cell area negatives located at OHPO Northeast regional office. Continuation Sheet Double-tiered box seating Nathalie Wright 12.
Backstage view including dressing room stairs National Register of Historic Places Information is the same for all photographs except 1-3: taken by Jeff Brown, April 1996, Opera house inner lobby with contemporary concession stand Ohio Historic Preservation Office November 1996 (8-86) Ashland County, Ohio 17.Mayor's office NPS Form 10-900-a National Park Service Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Section number - Ashland County, Ohio Elevation sketch from June 10, 1909, Loudonville Democrat Page Continuation Sheet Attachment 1 National Register of Historic Places (8-86) United States Department of the Interior PRONT ELEVATION OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-900-a CMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Ashland County, Ohio Section number - OF. THE "THE FLAMING ARROW" TO ME.
J Do NOT NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE" Box Seats, $1.50. 18 - PEOPLE -18. Taken from December 22, 1910, Loudonville Democrat (8-86) Continuation Sheet National Register of Historic Places .THE GREAT SCENIC AND ELECTRICAL SHOW Order Your Seats by Telephone Now.PRICES---Gallery 25 cents. NEW CITY OPERA HOUSE Attachment Balcony 50c. -Lower Floor, back, 75c: Lower Floor, front, $1.00 Page GRAND OPENING BIG MILITARY BAND. NPSForm 10-900-a OM8 Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Attachment Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Section number - Ashland County, Ohio CITY HALL, LOUDONVILLE.
Page Continuation Sheet National Register of Historic Places PHOTO FROM 1920 ASHLAND COUNTY DIRECTORY (8-86) Ashland County, Ohio AUDITORIUM - - EXIT DRESSING ROOM INCOME TAX OFfICES FIRST FLOOR PLAN Current Floor Plan OFFICE POLICE CLERK/TREASURER AND Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Room Loudonville City Hall & Opera House Ashland County, Ohio CHIEFS EXIT OFFICE Current Floor Plan POLICE SECOND FLOOR PLAN LIFT DEVICE AT REAR DOOR PROSCENIUH ARCH COUNCIL CHAMBER Imayor's NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF 45TH DAY: NOMINATOR: STATE OTHER : N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: COMMENT WAIVER: N V ACCEPT ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS : TELEPHONE RETURN REJECT DISCIPLINE 12/27/96 DATE MULTIPLE REVIEWER 2/10/97 RECOM./CRITERIA NAME: DATE RECEIVED: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: DATE OF PENDING LIST: REQUEST: N STATE & COUNTY: OHIO, Ashland REASONS FOR REVIEW: SAMPLE: DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N LESS THAN 5O YEARS: GRUMPIER OLD MEN ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE NOMT THE VILLAGE FEB.17 METALLICA TRIBUTE BAND 13L PG13 156 N.
WATER ST, Photo by V.D. Brown. 4-1996 Negative at O.H. P.O. (NERCO) CITY HALL AND OPERA HOUSE 156 N. Water St, Loudanville, Ashland Co., Ohio Photo by J.D. Brown : 4-1996 Negative at O.H.P.O. (NERCO) Ploto #3 CITY HALL AND OPERA HOUSE POPCOrn + Ciry HALL OPERA HOUSE LOUDONVILLE ASHLANA CO., OHIO OPERA House OPERA HOUSE HouSE INCOME OFFICE TAX MAYOR'S OHIO UNITED STATES LOUDONVILLE, OHIO R DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LOUDONVILLE QUADRANGLE 7.5 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY