 Howell Opera House
Costing $11,000 and was created with a
seating capacity for 1,000 people. Up until 1924 it was used not only as an
Opera House, but as a public auditorium for events like school classes,
graduations, political events and other meetings. In 1924 the main portion of
the Opera House was sealed off, and remained that way until the year 2000 when
the L.A.C (Livingston Arts Council) bought it and began plans for renovation and
use again.
The original building was 20X40 in size,
and was the first public building in Howell. It was called the Eagle Tavern,
and became the "center of population for all business matters of the pioneer
settlement" (taken from "A History of the township and village of Howell,
Michigan-Crittenden, A. Riley"). They held religious services at the Eagle
Tavern as well. In 1837 a log barn was built onto the Eagle Tavern.
Samuel Waddell was injured during the construction of the barn and died from
his injuries. This was the first death in the township.
The first fire in the village to do
severe damage was Sept. 28, 1857 and swept through the Eagle Hotel and
almost the entire line of buildings on the south side of Grand River.
In 1881 the Howell Opera House was built.
For many years it was the social gathering place for many events. Many
actors and actresses performed on the stage in the Opera House. Original
chalk drawings and signatures grace the walls of the stage area and dressing
room. Here is one such original chalk drawing that is located in the
dressing room beneath the stage. It was taken by P.R.I.S.M founder Lisa when
she took the first tour of the Opera House.
 This photo was taken in the old dressing room that is beneath the stage. Many things are written in chalk on the stage walls and other walls in the building.
The Opera House is a historical
landmark, seemingly frozen in time from when it was sealed off in the
early 1930's. Only the front portion was used as a hardware store for
many years. Some of the architectural structures include the original
ticket door used when the tickets were 10, 20 and 30 cents a piece for a
show, the original chandelier which had flame lighting, and was the only
light source for 30 years, and 3 rows of benches on each side of the
balcony which had seating for 1,000 people.
All but 2 windows upstairs on the
3rd floor are original lead glass windows and the original backdrop on
the stage hasn't been unrolled for over 40 years. In 1910 the Opera
House had it's first light on the stage and people such as Ty Cobb and
Henry Ford have stood on it.
- In 2000, the Livingston Arts
Council purchased the Howell Opera house with the hopes of repairing
it and bringing back the splendor and beauty that once lived here.
They hold many events such as art guild shows, storytelling groups,
local underground bands, and seasonal events. Restoration on the first
floor will take place in Dec. of 2006. We cannot wait to see the
transformation, and we are excited and honored to be
- able to investigate the Opera
House. We are thrilled with what we have discovered so far and know
that there is more to come!
There is so much historical
information about the Opera House and the land that it stands on, that I
could go on and on! A gorgeous building with a fascinating past. Many of
the town's people and others spent time in this place and now it's easy
to understand why........
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Prism's 