Grand Opera House
National Register of Historic Places

Grand Opera House

Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas
Listed
May 21, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002996

About this property

The Grand Opera House, also known as the Janey Slaughter Briscoe Grand Opera House is a historic theater in Uvalde, Texas. Built in 1891, it became a premier arts venue in Southwest Texas for plays, musicals, and cultural performances. The Opera House is the oldest functioning theater in the state of Texas and presents plays and concerts by local and touring companies. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1978. The Opera House was built by a partnership formed between local businessmen, merchants and ranchers called the Uvalde Real Estate and Building Company. The 2-story brick structure has Richardsonian Romanesque elements in its architecture. In typical Texas opera house style of the period, the building has the auditorium above commercial spaces on the first floor. There were also fashionable offices on the second floor. The Opera House was an immediate success and became the social center of Uvalde and quite well known throughout the region. The building was sold to Fred Locke in 1900 and the John Nance Garner family in 1916. By the early 1940s, most of the office tenants had moved out, and the building went through a period of decline. In July, 1978, the dilapidated property, now owned by the descendants of Garner, was donated to the City of Uvalde. The city restored the Opera House to its 1890 condition.

Location

Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas
29.21032, -99.78666

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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

First National Bank
Industrial
0.1 mi
Garner, John Nance, House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Nicolas Street School
Industrial
0.6 mi
State Highway 3 Bridge at the Nueces River
Industrial
7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grand Opera House listed on the National Register?

Grand Opera House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 21, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Grand Opera House?

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

What is the period of significance for Grand Opera House?

The period of significance for Grand Opera House is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1891.

Can I research the history near Grand Opera House?

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