Howell Opera House

Sitting on the land where the first public building in Howell was, The Howell Opera House was built in 1881.

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........