Millett Opera House
National Register of Historic Places

Millett Opera House

Austin, Travis County, Texas
Listed
March 20, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002991

About this property

The Millett Opera House, home of the Austin Club, is a historic building in downtown Austin, Texas. Built in 1878 by local lumber seller Charles Millett on one of his lots, the house was one of the largest performance spaces in Texas upon its completion. It featured 800 removable seats, 24-inch limestone walls, and the largest enclosed space in Texas. The Opera House was designed by Frederick Ruffini, an architect working throughout Texas. The Austin Public Free Schools (today the Austin Independent School District) purchased the opera house in 1940. In the 1950s, it was threatened with demolition, but preserved by a local group of concerned people. It housed a printing company until 1979, when a long-term lease was arranged for the Austin Club, a local private social club. The Austin Club now owns the opera house. The Austin Club renovated the building and divided it into three stories, removing the performance space, but a portion of the original hand-painted ceiling is still installed in one of the meeting rooms. The building is located at 110 East Ninth Street. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Location

110 E. 9th St.
Austin, Travis County, Texas
30.27080, -97.74065

Categories

ARCHITECTUREPERFORMING ARTS
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

St. Mary's Cathedral
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0 mi
1918 State Office Building and 1933 State Highway Building
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0.1 mi
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Old Land Office Building
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0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Battle Creek (1838)
1840Early Republic
0.1 mi
Travis County Archaic Period Violence — Texas
1000Pre-Columbian
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Millett Opera House listed on the National Register?

Millett Opera House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 20, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Millett Opera House?

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

What is the period of significance for Millett Opera House?

The period of significance for Millett Opera House is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1878.

Can I research the history near Millett Opera House?

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