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UER Forum > Archived US: South > The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House. (Viewed 602 times)
dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
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The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
< on 3/20/2011 4:40 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
This is the combination opera house and hardware store, yes, a strange combination. Built when Ralston Oklahoma was in its boom years, the Harry Brothers hardware store was on the lower floor and the Opera House on the upper. Built in 1902, the hardware store continued operation until the 1970s, ran by Helen Harry, the younger sister of the Harry brothers that built the original. The Opera house was updated for motion pictures in the early 1920s and when it closed, it was left to its own devices for several decades. A restoration was partially completed about 15 years ago, but the gentleman overseeing it passed away, and the building sold for taxes. Isabella, the lady who now owns it kindly allowed me inside to get some photos. The building is falling into disrepair and its future is uncertain.



Isabella was a bit eccentric and insisted on showing me most of the items in the old hardware store. It seems she collects a wide variety of things, but seldom seems to sell anything. Unfortunately, this collection obscured much of the hardware store.

On to the pics.

This is a 1908 photo of the building.



A photo from inside the hardware store. Several of the old display cases shown here still remain.



The building as it looks in 2011.







The building was a shotgun design, with two sides connected inside to allow customers to cross back and forth. In the middle of the shotgun, was the door and stairs to the Opera house located above.





A surprising amount of the original exterior hardware still remains.









Inside the hardware section.





You can see these windows and display cases in the old photo above.





















Heading upstairs to the Opera house. The ticket booth was at the top with doors to the left and right.



A few decades of kids initials carved into the walls.



This is an old photo of the original opera curtain. I noticed that advertising knows no time barriers. Many of the advertisers shown were local merchants.



Entering the Opera house proper with a view of the stage.









Many of the windows are broken and boarded up.



View of the entrance and the old projector location.





View of the stage with the curtains and backdrops.



Doors on the left and right of the stage provided access.











View from the stage. Chairs waiting for an audience that will never come.







Lifting mechanisms for the curtains. The curtains where lifted intact into a raised area in the ceiling.







The backstage area. The dressing rooms where to the rear. These areas where in bad repair and where unsafe to enter.







In addition to the drop curtains, sliding backdrops where also used.



The attic area above the stage, originally used for prop storage.





The ticket booth.





Down the stairs.



The old original flagstone sidewalk.



The rear of the building with the dressing rooms on the upper section.





The raised section for the curtains. It and the side of the building where used for advertising back in the day.



The opera house can be seen in the distance under the water tower. It's hard to make out in this photo, but "Genuine Bull Durham" was painted on the side.



This old opera house once hosted legendary turn-of-the-century stars, and was added to the national registry of historic places in 1987. Unfortunately, registration does not mean preservation.

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
Kurt 


Location: Taxachusetts
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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 1 on 3/20/2011 11:40 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
awesome thread dude! awesome research and current pics

"What is your favorite thing about Belchertown?"

"...the history, man"
cdevon 


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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 2 on 3/20/2011 1:19 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by southshore77
awesome thread dude! awesome research and current pics


+1!


When I say I'm 'clean and sober', it means I've showered and I'm headed to the liquor store.
VBJag 


Location: Oklahoma
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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 3 on 3/20/2011 5:58 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I love your posts. So much better than seeing the same hospital with peeling paint.

Times I'm glad I live in the South. So much history on every street corner.

yeya 


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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 4 on 3/21/2011 7:03 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wow, that is awesome. Man have Opera Houses changed. Thanks for posting, I kept saying wow while reading and looking at the pics, lol

Mr_Fiend 


Location: Tulsa, OK
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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 5 on 3/22/2011 2:15 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by VBJag
So much better than seeing the same hospital with peeling paint.


You take that back!


I love how that this place is in such good condition.

https://abandonedo...bout/the-aok-team/
VBJag 


Location: Oklahoma
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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 6 on 3/23/2011 11:03 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Mr_Fiend
You take that back!


I love how that this place is in such good condition.


Haha I wish there was one place in the south that has "peeling" paint to it.

adventuremom 






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Re: The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House.
<Reply # 7 on 3/26/2011 11:00 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Outstanding! What a find! Thanks for posting this!

UER Forum > Archived US: South > The fat lady has sung. Old Opera House. (Viewed 602 times)



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