National Register of Historic Places

Thomaston Opera House

Thomaston, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Listed
April 25, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001319

About this property

The Thomaston Opera House is a historic performance venue and the town hall of Thomaston, Connecticut. Located at 153 Main Street, it was built in 1883-85, and is a good local example of Romanesque architecture. The theater in the building has served as a performance and film venue since its construction. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The opera house's principal tenant is now the Landmark Community Theatre. The Thomaston Opera House is prominently sited in Thomaston's downtown, at the southwest corner of Main and Clay Streets. It is a large three-story brick building with Romanesque features and a hip roof. Its dominant feature is a multi-stage square tower, rising through five levels to a clock stage, open belfry with triple-arched openings, and crowning pyramidal roof and weathervane. The roof cornice is adorned with dentil moulding and modillion blocks. The third-floor windows are set in round-arch openings with contrasting brick and stone arches. The building was designed by Robert Hill of Waterbury and built in 1883-85 on land donated by Aaron Thomas, the son of the town's namesake, Seth Thomas. It was used as a venue for theatrical performances and social events until the 1930s, when it was converted for a time into a movie house. It was closed down due to safety code violations in the 1960s, and underwent restoration, reopening with town offices on the first floor and the theater continuing on the upper floor. It is now used for live theatrical productions and other events. National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut

Location

Thomaston, Litchfield County, Connecticut
41.67312, -73.07498

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Hose and Hook and Ladder Truck Building
Industrial
0 mi
Trinity Church
Industrial
0 mi
Plymouth Center Historic District
Listed
1.1 mi
Plymouth Center Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Industrial
1.2 mi
Reynolds Bridge
Industrial
1.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Thomaston Opera House listed on the National Register?

Thomaston Opera House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Thomaston Opera House?

Thomaston Opera House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Thomaston Opera House?

The period of significance for Thomaston Opera House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Thomaston Opera House?

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