{"url": "https://nl.localwiki.org/api/v4/pages_history/1379150/", "name": "Opera House in the Old Harrietstown Town Hall", "slug": "opera house in the old harrietstown town hall", "content": "
\n\tThe Opera House in the Old Harrietstown Town Hall was a second-floor auditorium. Construction of the building began in 1888, and it burned to the ground in 1926.
\n\n\tFrom the program for an\u00a0Odd Fellows\u00a0Minstrel Show held at the opening of the new Town Hall on October 3 and 4, 1928:
\n\n\t. . . The first use to which the building had been put was that of a school. The old school house was outgrown and three rooms in the town hall were engaged to take care of the older grades. The second floor, which contained the auditorium with a seventeen foot stage, was soon the center of the social life of the village. In it dances, suppers and festivals of every sort were held. As the demand for amusement became greater it was leased to\u00a0F. M. Jackson, under whose able management a high class of one night stand and repertoire companies were brought here. Several stars whose names have been outlined in lights along Broadway trod the boards in the old town hall before they were discovered by the big cities. Lecturers of national reputation on religious, educational or political subjects were heard here.
\n\n\tFor several months the congregation of\u00a0St. Bernard's church\u00a0worshipped in the town hall, during the construction of their present edifice. Moving pictures held the boards for a time and later the auditorium was taken over by the\u00a0Independent Order of Odd Fellows\u00a0who with the Kiwassa\u00a0Rebekah Lodge\u00a0No. 33, occupied it until the building was destroyed. . . .\u00a0
\n\n\t[The whole article can be found on the page for the Old Harrietstown Town Hall.]
\n\n\tPlattsburgh Sentinel, March 23, 1894
\n\n\t\u2014W. F. Mannix, of Saranac Lake, formerly editor of the Pioneer, writes that he is to make a public declaration of his late decision for temperance at the opera house at Saranac Lake, Wednesday, March 28th. He proposes to take the platform for temperance and make of it a lifework. Old friends will wish him God speed in the work. \u2014 Farmer.
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\n\n\tPlattsburgh Daily Press, November 30, 1896
\n\n\tManager Jackson, of the Saranac Lake opera house, has written to treasurer Philip Cooney of the Columbus club to see if arrangements cannot be made to present the play, \"Tony, The Convict,\" at Saranac Lake, soon. If terms can be agreed upon the club will present the play at Saranac Lake early in December.
\n\n\tPlattsburgh Daily Press, December 10, 1898
\n\n\tMALONE AMATEURS AT SARANAC LAKE
\n\n\tThe Malone. Amateurs presented \u201cThe Broken Link\" in Saranac Lake Opera House on Friday evening-last in a most satisfactory manner. The cast was made up of the best talent that Malone affords and they each did credit to themselves. We can truthfully say that it was the best amateur play ever presented in our Opera House by outside talent.\u00a0 --Adirondack Enterprise.
\n\n\tPlattsburgh Sentinel, January 13, 1899
\n\n\t--The Vaudeville Company of the 21st has been booked by F. M. Jackson of the Saranac Lake Opera House for Jan. 31st and Feb. 1st, during the ice carnival.
\n\n\tMalone Farmer, January 31, 1900
\n\n\tSpencer's, orchestra has been engaged for the 3d grand annual masquerade ball at the Saranac Lake opera house January 31st., to be given under the opera house management. The costumes for the occasion will be furnished by a city costumer. The orchestra has also been engaged for a select party and dance to be given by Mrs. W. S. Lawrence to her friends at Lawrence Opera House, Moira, February 14th. A special train will be run to accommodate friends from Malone.
\n\n\tMalone Farmer, November 28, 1900
\n\n\tSpencer's full orchestra has been engaged to play at a Thanksgiving ball at the Saranac Lake Opera House Thursday night.
\n\n\tElizabethtown Post, July 4, 1901
\n\n\tProspective Saranac Lake Opera House.
\n\n\tWallace Murray and several other capitalists have been considering the advisability of erecting a $25,000Opera House in the village of Saranac Lake providing the authorities would exempt the property from taxation for a certain term of years.
\n\n\tMalone Palladium,\u00a0March 27, 1902
\n\n\tThe minstrel show, which\u00a0was so\u00a0successfully\u00a0given\u00a0by the\u00a0patients\u00a0of the\u00a0sanitarium February\u00a011th,\u00a0will\u00a0be repeated\u00a0in the\u00a0Saranac Lake opera house\u00a0on Wednesday, April\u00a02, for the\u00a0benefit\u00a0of\u00a0the Sanitarium library fund.\u00a0The\u00a0show\u00a0has been strengthened\u00a0in\u00a0many ways\u00a0and much\u00a0new\u00a0material added.\u00a0The\u00a0following well known ladies have consented\u00a0to act as patronesses: Mrs.\u00a0TRUDEAU,\u00a0Mrs.\u00a0TREMBLEY,\u00a0MRS.\u00a0KENDALL,\u00a0Mrs.\u00a0RIDDLE,\u00a0Mrs. MILLER,\u00a0Mrs.\u00a0HARDING,\u00a0Mrs. J.\u00a0S.\u00a0WILLIAMS\u00a0and Miss\u00a0DELONGUE.\u00a0Many\u00a0other prominent people have signified\u00a0their intention\u00a0of\u00a0doing\u00a0the\u00a0same. Seats\u00a0are selling rapidly.
\n\n\tThe Adirondack Enterprise, July 17, 1902
\n\n\tItems from the\u00a0Saranac Lake\u00a0column.
\n\n\t-- The Saranac Lake Social & Athletic Club will give a dance in the\u00a0Opera House\u00a0on Tuesday evening July 29th. Baillargeon's orchestra will furnish the music. The tickets are but 50 cents a couple.\u00a0
\n\n\t-- Mr. and Mrs. George Surrick Lincoln are to appear in our\u00a0Opera House, Ju[ ] 20th, and Aug. 6th in two very interesting entertainments; \"Alaska,\" and \"Beauty Spots in America\" ; illustrated with stereopticon views; and motion pictures; the whole supplemented with songs by Mrs. Surrick Lincoln. The entertainments are highly praised [by] those who have seen and heard the[m]. The Chicago Evening Journal says: \"The annual reception of the Masonic bod[ ] of this city was held Friday evening. The entertainment was furnished by \"T[he] Lincolns.\" Mrs. Lincoln is an artist [of] great versatility. Mr. Lincoln, with [ ] lime light and his wonderful real[ ] stories of travel, together with the [fa]cinating and unique motion pictu[res] was well received and appreciated.\"\u00a0
\n\n\t--\"Fantasia\" an operatic minstrel performance was given by the children of the village last Friday night at the Opera House, under the direction of Prof. Chas. Dolan, and was both an artistic and financial success. The children did remarkably well for the short time they were under Prof. Dolan's tutorship. All of the big New York City successes were introducted [sic] prettily costumed and cleverly arranged. Roy Raymond the son of one of our summer visitors made the individual hit of the performance. The burlesque on \"Tell me pretty maidens\" by a number of young men from Rainbow Camp, also made a big hit. It was announced at the performance that Prof. Dolan would arrange a minstrel show for the local Tribe of Red Men, the show to be given at once. Prof. Dolan on second consideration has decided to postpone the performance until later on. as it would be impossible to place the show on as it should be, upon such short notice.
\n\n\tThe Adirondack Enterprise, July 17, 1902
\n\n\tH. M. S. Pinafore.
\n\n\tThe Event of the Season.--Benefit of the Library.
\n\n\tArrangements are being perfected and rehearsals have already begun for an elaborate production of that most successful of all the Gilbert & Sullivan Comic operas--H. M. S. Pinafore or The Lass Who Loved a Sailor. The chorus will consist of about 50 voices made up of the leading singers of this town and vicinity and the cast will be in competent hands drawn from the best soloists that Saranac Lake affords assisted by prominent artists from New York and Boston. Special scenery made for this opera showing the deck, cabin, sails, masts, etc. of a British Man of War will be used to the limitations of the Saranac Lake Opera House stage. New costumes will be a feature and the whole opera will be stages and given with careful attention to detail. The stage business and effects given same as in the original productions in London. The affair is to be given two nights in the week of Aug. 4th under the auspices and for the benefit of the Adirondack Library. C. E. Macomber, of Boston has been secured to direct and stage the piece and from the unusual interest manifested it is sure to be one of the largest and best affairs ever given here.
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