Perkins Opera House

About this property

The Perkins Opera House (also known as the Monticello Opera House) is a historic theater in Monticello, Florida, United States. It is located at the corner of Washington Street and Jefferson Street. The Perkins Block Building was named after Monticello businessman John H. Perkins. As new railroads brought travelers through Monticello, the town hoped to build hotels and cultural attractions that would profit from the new tourist industry. Perkins was given a ten-year tax break on the condition that he funded a building that could house storefronts and a theater. An architect from Chattanooga, W. R. Gunn, was hired to build the structure, and completed the opera house in 1890. The building included three first floor bays housing Perkins' mercantile interests - a general store and sewing machine shop, a hardware store and a farm implement supply store. In addition, Perkins built a stable behind the building from which horses, mules and wagons were sold. The second floor of the Perkins Block included a large foyer and an opera house boasting unparalleled acoustics and the largest stage in the region. Perkins had hopes of establishing the opera house as a major theater in the South. For several years, performances included both professional touring groups and local vaudeville productions, such as The Mikado and She Stoops to Conquer. Shortly after the turn of the century, however, the railroads were re-routed, by-passing Monticello. The wealthy patrons who had once wintered in south Georgia and north Florida sought destinations further south in Florida, and the opera house faced financial disaster. Unable to attract the once-popular theatre productions, Perkins discontinued live performances. One of the final productions at the theater featured future Governor of Florida LeRoy Collins. A failed attempt to utilize the building as a movie theater led to the abandonment of the auditorium. Although the downstairs bays saw continuous occupation for a variety of uses, the opera house stood idle and soon fell into disrepair. In 1972, the vision of a handful of interested people saved the opera house, with its falling plaster and leaking roof, from the destruction of the wrecker's ball. An organization was formed to provide opportunities for young performers and restore the opera house. The Monticello Opera Company was formed in March of that year and performed at the first fund-raising event at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Phipps. The purchase of the Perkins Block was consummated on October 17, 1973. On that date, the Monticello Opera House, Inc. purchased the building with money raised through fund-raising efforts, a grant from the State of Florida and a private donation from Mrs. Dorothy Simpson, who held one-half interest in the building.

Location

Categories

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.

More in Jefferson County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Jefferson County.

More historic places in Florida

Browse all historic places in Florida.

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Florida history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.