The opera house was once the cultural center of many Vermont counties. Dr. B. J. Kendall built the Opera House in Enosburg Falls for $10,000 in 1892. Until the early 1950s, the Opera House featured traveling and local entertainment, hosted meetings, and served as the home for prominent school events. The stage is intimate and the acoustics match any of the great music halls.When Vermont's recreation focus shifted to school gymnasiums, outdoor tourist activities, and television, opera houses fell into disuse. The Enosburg building was mostly ignored for two decades; that neglect led to problems from the foundation to the roof.
"The first real restoration started in the mid-1970s," said Lou Hill, "with the founding of the Enosburg Opera House Association." Their efforts returned plays, pageants and other summer activities to the building.
In 1993, the Selectboard appointed Harry Benoit, Linda Eppley, Janice Geraw, Evelyn Stanley, and John Whiting to form a restoration committee. Anna Taylor Caleb and Lou Hill later joined the committee. "This committee has written the grants that repaired the roof and foundation, and painted the exterior of the building,"said John Whiting.
Most recently, the committee has painted the auditorium and installed accessible bathrooms (they flush!) thanks to a significant grant from the Vermont Historic Preservation Trust.
Architect Roland Batten found the ravages of time and inattention were greater than paint and shingles could resolve. His initial renovation design include the ground floor improvements and an accessible elevator. The restoration committee has now grown into the non-profit Friends of the Opera House.
The Friends capital campaign began during the Festival of Friends October 9-11, 1998 with the theme, Make it Sing Again. The Festival began with $170,000 pledged against a goal of $350,000 to complete the restoration.
The Opera House hosts the annual Talent Search, Opera House Association plays and musicals, concerts such as the recent Constitution Brass, local variety shows, the Ground Hog Opry, the Dairy Princess Pageant, performances by Vermont Symphony Orchestra ensembles, and the Champlain Chorus. It has become the home of the Miss Vermont Scholarship Pageant, theatrical productions of the Enosburg Elementary School, The Middle School and EFHS, special performance of the Enosburg Town Band as well as being the alternate site for the Enosburg Town Band concerts, Summer Sounds and Movies in the Park.
"The Friends of the Opera House plan to expand the activities there with a regular series of interesting programs starting next summer,"said Anna Taylor Caleb.
Anyone interested in using the Opera House for weddings, performances by theater groups, or other community activities can call or email Jon Scott (802.933.6171)
"We want everyone in the County to use the building year round," said John Whiting.
123 Depot Street
Post Office Box 1250
Enosburg Falls, Vermont 05450
802.933.6171
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