Springer Opera House

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Springer Opera House
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Interior of the Springer Opera House in 1980
Interior of the Springer Opera House in 1980
Location: Columbus, Georgia
Coordinates: 32°27′53″N 84°59′27″W / 32.46472, -84.99083Coordinates: 32°27′53″N 84°59′27″W / 32.46472, -84.99083
Built/Founded: 1871
Architect: Foley,Daniel Matthew
Architectural style(s): Late Victorian
Added to NRHP: December 29, 1970
NRHP Reference#: 70000214[1]
Governing body: Private

The Springer Opera House is a historic live performance theater located in downtown Columbus, Georgia. First opened February 21, 1871, the theater was named the State Theatre of Georgia by Governor Jimmy Carter for its 100th anniversary season, a designation made permanent by the 1992 state legislature.[2] The Springer has hosted legendary performers such as Edwin Booth, Ethel Barrymore, Agnes de Mille, and bandleader John Phillip Sousa.[3] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970[2][4] and named a National Historic Landmark in 1978.[2][5]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Conception

Theatre has had a presence in Columbus, Georgia since the very first year of the city's existence. The first recorded performance in an enclosed theater building took place during July 1828.[6] From 1828 to 1870, stages of various size and improvement came and went, but all would be considered primitive in comparison to what would follow. On June 19, 1869, just four years after the conclusion of the American Civil War, a meeting was held in the Columbus banking office of John King to establish a Public Hall Association for the purpose of establishing a performance hall that the city could be proud of. Under the leadership of King, W. L. Salisbury, W. C. Chipley, L. G. Bowers, Joseph Hanserd, and George P. Swift, Sr., the new association quickly raised funds through the selling of stock. The association decided among other things, that the hall would be named for the person holding the largest block of stock. By July 15, less than a month after that initial meeting, more than half of the funds necessary for construction had been raised.[7]

[edit] F. J. Springer

By May 1870, businessman Francis Joseph Springer, an immigrant from Alsace who had become very prosperous in the grocery business,[3] had committed to build the new theater on the site of his centrally-located store at the corner of Crawford and Oglethorpe Streets, the present 10th Street and 1st Avenue in downtown Columbus.[8] Springer had long held a love for theatre, music, and dance, and had dreamed of opening a theater in Columbus.[3] Springer would become the largest shareholder of the Public Hall Association and would further his stake over a period of time by repaying the remaining stockholders until he held full ownership of the new facility.[8]

[edit] Construction

Construction of the new theater building began immediately and advanced quickly. By August 10, 1870 the Columbus Enquirer newspaper reported that the building was projected to be completed as early as November of the same year. The speedy construction was not without accident, however. Construction worker John Prince suffered a fatal head wound when a scaffold collapsed inside the hall.[8] Construction was delayed for a brief time due to short supply of brick and lumber, but by January 1871 the exterior was substantially complete and work had begun on the interior fresco painting. On February 10, Springer announced the new opera house would open on February 21, its inaugural event a benefit concert for the nearby Trinity Episcopal Church.[9]

[edit] 1900 renovation

In 1900, the Springer underwent a major renovation and expansion. Prominent theatre designer J. B. McElfatrick was contracted to completely redesign the Springer. McElfatrick looked to his own work at the Empire Theatre on Broadway in New York City for his design for the Springer.[10] The building was expanded eastward during this renovation, providing a new taller space for the main stage. A second balcony was also added at this time as well as hotel rooms, restaurants and office space. The hotel and restaurants provided the Springer with a valuable new source of revenue.[10]

[edit] Movie house

Not long after the Springer's expansion came the rise in popularity of the motion picture. The Springer, living up to its reputation as a leading theatre of the time, played host to several of Thomas Edison's new Vitascope films.[11] The Springer's display of these short films would signal the start of a slow, steady decline of live theatre in the city. In 1915, the Springer began to show motion pictures on a regular schedule and as motion pictures gained in popularity, live theatre was pushed aside. Indeed, this is a trend that prevailed throughout the nation during that time. By 1931, the Springer had hosted its final major live theatre production and began to operate almost exclusively as a movie house under its new owner, Martin Theatres. The only live performances held at the Springer after 1931 were the occasional local concert.[11] By 1958, growth in the city had taken much of the population away from the downtown area[3] and with attendance continuing a steady decline, Martin Theaters closed the Springer, leaving the aging theatre silent for the first time in its history.[12]

[edit] 1964 renovation

By 1963, the Springer Opera House had been vacant for five years. Its future was now dim and talk of demolishing the structure was stirring. The Springer's location, directly across the street from the busy county courthouse, made it a prime location for a new parking lot or office building.[13]

With the wrecking ball imminent, a group of local actors, already established as the Columbus Little Theater, formed a board of trustees comprised of local professionals of varying expertise with a common interest in saving the Springer Opera House. Those trustees began a very aggressive campaign to educate the public about the Springer's significance as a historic structure worth saving. As the awareness campaign blanketed the city, one of the board's trustees, businessman Robert L. Lewis, provided a $5,000 binder for the purchase of the Springer building.[14]

In the summer of 1964, with control of the building secured and sufficient donations in hand to begin renovation, the group began focusing on repairing the leaking roof, restoring the ground floor lobby, cleaning and redressing the main hall, and bringing the building up to code. The Springer Opera House reopened to great celebration on September 23, 1965 with a Columbus Little Theater production of St. Elmo, based on the novel of the same name by Columbus native Augusta Jane Evans.[14] Although the renovations to the Springer that began in 1964 provided only the bare essentials to reopening the Springer, they proved to be a watershed event in its history. This work by the Columbus Little Theater and its board of trustees is also regarded as the spark that led to the highly successful historic preservation movement that the city of Columbus experienced during the second half of the 20th century.[14]

[edit] Today

[edit] Live theatre performance

Today, the Springer Opera House hosts performances year-round on two stages. Emily Woodruff Hall, the 700-seat main theatre,[15] hosts the popular Mainstage Series which features some of the nation's newest plays and musicals as well as timeless Broadway-style productions. Foley Hall, the Springer's more personal space, hosts its Studio II Series as well as its Academy Series featuring many of the area's talented student actors.[3]

[edit] Springer Theatre Academy

The Springer Opera House offers an extensive year-round training program for young actors. The Springer Theatre Academy holds Saturday classes throughout the school year and offers a weekday program during the summer. The academy is led by professional actors, directors, theatre teachers, and technicians and claims to be one of the finest theatre training programs in the southeast.[16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ a b c Georgia Secretary of State - State Theatre, sos.state.ga.us; retrieved February 2007
  3. ^ a b c d e Springer Opera House - Our History, springeroperahouse.org; retrieved February 2007
  4. ^ National Register of Historic Places - Georgia, Muscogee County, nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com; retrieved January 2007
  5. ^ National Historic Landmarks Program - "Springer Opera House", National Park Service; retrieved January 2007
  6. ^ Kyle, F. Clason; In Order of Appearance, Communicorp, 2006; ISBN 0-9773164-0-8; 11
  7. ^ Kyle, op. cit., 15
  8. ^ a b c Kyle, op. cit., 16
  9. ^ Kyle, op. cit., 17
  10. ^ a b Kyle, op. cit., 154
  11. ^ a b Kyle, op. cit., 155
  12. ^ Kyle, op. cit., 156
  13. ^ Kyle, op. cit., 325
  14. ^ a b c Kyle, op. cit., 326
  15. ^ Springer Opera House - Rentals, springeroperahouse.org; retrieved February 2007
  16. ^ Springer Opera House - Theatre Academy, springeroperahouse.org; retrieved February 2007

[edit] External links

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