Phoenix Opera House
The Phoenix Opera house is truly a unique feature of Rushville. In its day, it was common to build opera houses above places of business. However, very few structures such as this still remain today. While the Phoenix struggled and even at times failed to remain open, it functions today as it was originally intended to function. The Phoenix Opera House was built on the south side of the square in 1882. At that time, it was one of the nicest opera houses around. Because Beardstown, a neighboring town, had built their own opera house just years earlier, it fueled a rivalry between the two towns that still exists today. While the opera house flourished in the late 1880s, by 1910 it closed its doors. In the early 1980s, after the Phoenix Opera house had stood vacant for many years, there was a movement to bring it back. A group of people organized the Phoenix Opera House Community Center, Inc. with the intention of acquiring, renovating, and restoring the opera house. Over the years, the organization achieved their goals and returned the opera house to a functioning community center not only for operas and live plays, but for a variety of other events, too. In 1985, the Phoenix Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In July of 1995, the opera house suffered a devastating fire, the greatly damaged the opera house and the businesses below it. However, as the phoenix rises from ashes, the opera house, too, rebuilt and remains open to this day. To the right, you can see a video of a jazz concert that was put on by the local high school at the Phoenix Opera House. This is just one example of the many performances that take place in the opera house throughout the year. Please visit the Schuyler County Courthouse page on this website to view another video featuring the Phoenix Opera House. |
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