historic photograph lexington opera house

Being situated between major theater circuits in Louisville and Cincinnati, the Lexington Opera House became a convenient stop for traveling shows. One month later, Our Angel became the first play performed in the new theater. The Opera House reopened on Jwith a concert by the Cincinnati Symphony. New plumbing ensured that the theater could be quickly flooded in case of another fire and helped to keep the building cool, as the water came from a nearby ice factory. The walls were adorned with frescoes, which were lit by over two-hundred gaslights. Every seat was cushioned, and some were upholstered in morocco leather or velvet. Architect Oscar Cobb of Chicago came up with a grand vision for the new theater.

Construction on a new theater on the same site began just five months later. However, a fire on Janudestroyed the building and nearby stables, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.

Though it was a simple structure, the theater occasionally attracted nationally-renowned acts like Edwin Booth and Buffalo Bill as well as hordes of tourists. The Opera House, which opened in 1850, was one of many theatres around Broadway and Main Streets in Lexington, but it quickly surpassed the others in popularity.

Historic photograph lexington opera house