Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
“The Opera Block was a historic building in Westville, Oklahoma. The brick building was built in 1911-1912.”
Wikipedia article Opera Block, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 6 National Register listings published here for Adair County · listed in 1984 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 213 fires within 5 miles of Opera Block between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,602 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 73 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 73 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 |
| Debris and open burning | 46 |
| Smoking | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 7 |
| Natural | 5 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1998 | Smoking | 3.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 6 September 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 6 September 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | 6.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 30476 |
| 6 September 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 30477 |
| 6 September 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 30588 |
| 4 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 3 September 1998 | Smoking | 3.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | not named |
| 28 September 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 6.0 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | 30488 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Opera Block: 4 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Westville, the town this property stands in, in 59 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 34 thunderstorm wind, 21 hail, 2 tornado, 2 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2010 | Tornado (EF2) | Westville | $60,000 | This segment is the first of six segments of this long-track tornado. A tornado developed just northeast of Westville and moved rapidly northeastward damaging a home, tossing or rolling four vehicles, snapping at least 13 large power poles, and snapping or uprooting large trees. Estimated maximum wind based on this damage was 125 mph. This tornado continued into Washington County, Arkansas. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $25,000 | At 305 AM CDT, the Oklahoma mesonet site west of Westville measured a wind gust to 70 miles an hour. These winds then moved east to Westville, blowing down numerous trees and limbs in Westville. On Buffington Road, several limbs blocked traffic during the morning commute time. Numerous trees blew into power lines. Utility officials reported some of the worst damage in the Bell community, where whole oak trees were uprooted and roofs were lost froma number of barns. |
| May 2011 | Flash Flood | Westville | $10,000 | Highway 59 was closed between Westville and Stilwell due to high water covering the roadway. Several cars were stranded in the flood water. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees and destroyed a barn. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $10,000 | Thundestorm winds blew a tree onto a house causing damage to the roof. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Westville | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines in Westville. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour damaged the roofs of some buildings. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $2,000 | There was a swath of tree damage stretching across Adair County from roughly Eldon in Cherokee County to Westville in Adair County. |
| December 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $1,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged the roof of a barn. |
| February 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $200 | Several trees were blown down between Westville and Watts. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $100 | Several 4-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down in Westville. |
| February 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $100 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | $100 | no account filed |
| May 2025 | Tornado (EFU) | Westville | - | This is the first segment of a two segment tornado. The tornado developed over inaccessible terrain west of Snake Mountain, just west of state line, where a tornadic debris signature was indicated by the KSRX WSR-88D. Since the damage that produced the radar debris signature was inaccessible, this segment of the tornado was rated EF-unknown. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured up to 60 mph. |
| April 2021 | Flash Flood | Westville | - | Roads were flooded in and around Westville. |
| October 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs. |
| February 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down numerous large tree limbs. |
| October 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large trees in town. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind gusts blew down large tree limbs. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind gusts estimated around 65 mph snapped large tree limbs. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | An emergency manager measured a 58 mile an hour thunderstorm wind gust with a hand held anemometer. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | The Oklahoma mesonet site near Westville measured a 68 mile an hour wind gust. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated to 60 mph blew down large tree limbs. |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | The Oklahoma mesonet site near Westville recorded a 64 mile an hour wind gust. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a tree. The tree blocked a road. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down some large trees. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a large tree. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew signs down. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Severe thunderstorms moved across northeast Oklahoma during the afternoon of August 20th. Strong thunderstorm winds downed several power lines in Bartlesville and several large tree limbs in Delaware, and 6 to 8 inch diameter tree limbs were blown down in Rose. The top was blown out of a large tree onto a house by 70 to 80 mile an hour winds 1 mile south of Catoosa, and power lines were downed and a plate glass window was blown out of a building by 60 mile an hour winds in Dewey. Large tree limbs were blown down by 60 mile an hour winds in Pawhuska, and thunderstorm winds also gusted to 60 miles an hour in Okesa, 4 miles south of Collinsville, in Scraper, and in Westville. Dime size hail fell at Pawhuska. |
| June 1995 | Hail | Westville | - | Severe thunderstorms moved across southeast and extreme east-central Oklahoma during the afternoon of June 5th. Strong thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Poteau, and trees were blown down in Muldrow and in Westville. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 70 mph in McAlester, and several large tree limbs were blown down in Red Oak. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 to 65 mph six miles west of Wilburton and to 60 mph in Alderson, three miles southwest of Summerfield, and five miles southeast of Stilwell. Quarter-size hail fell at Alderson and four miles west of Kinta, and dime-size hail fell three miles southwest of Summerfield, at McCurtain, one mile south of Muldrow, and at Westville. Very heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms also resulted in flash flooding in Pittsburg and Le Flore Counties. Street flooding occurred in McAlester and also in Panama. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | Severe thunderstorms moved across southeast and extreme east-central Oklahoma during the afternoon of June 5th. Strong thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Poteau, and trees were blown down in Muldrow and in Westville. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 70 mph in McAlester, and several large tree limbs were blown down in Red Oak. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 to 65 mph six miles west of Wilburton and to 60 mph in Alderson, three miles southwest of Summerfield, and five miles southeast of Stilwell. Quarter-size hail fell at Alderson and four miles west of Kinta, and dime-size hail fell three miles southwest of Summerfield, at McCurtain, one mile south of Muldrow, and at Westville. Very heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms also resulted in flash flooding in Pittsburg and Le Flore Counties. Street flooding occurred in McAlester and also in Panama. |
| April 2022 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| February 2011 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| January 2006 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| January 2006 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| March 2004 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | no account filed |
| March 2002 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | no account filed |
| March 2000 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| November 1997 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westville | - | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Hail | Westville | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Buffington Hotel | under 500 feet | 1984 |
| Rev. Jesse Bushyhead Grave | 3.0 miles | 2004 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 84002934 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Adair County | All 6 listed properties in this county. |
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