The mission of the Friends of the Opera House is to preserve the building as a historic center for the presentation and promotion of the performing arts and activities that celebrate our sense of community.
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Board of Directors
Suzanne Hull-Casavant, Chair
Matt Rainville, Treasurer
Ernie Hemingway
Bilijean Smith
Sarah Butson, Vice Chair
Shayna Sherwood, Secretary
Heidi Britch-Valenta
Reagan Decker
David Stetson
History
In 1892, the Dr. B.J. Kendall Co., a manufacturer of patent medicines and the largest employer in the area, presented the Town of Enosburg and the Village of Enosburg Falls with a building which became known as the Enosburg Opera House. Located in the center of the village, this wonderful Victorian style, wood frame building soon became a local landmark.
The Opera House remains a cultural center of surrounding Franklin County. Noted for its exceptional acoustics, the Opera House is a perfect venue for a wide variety of events. Over the years, audiences from near and far have listened to the strains of classical music as well as to the cadence of a John Philip Sousa march conducted by the master himself. It is no small wonder that it is on the National Historic register.
In 1975, a group of local residents became concerned with the condition of the building and formed the Enosburg Opera House Association. In 1993, the Select board of the Town of Enosburg appointed a group of five area residents to form the Enosburg Opera House Restoration Committee which raised funds for necessary updates. The first restoration project took care of repairs to the roof, added another emergency exit, paid for the installation of a fire alarm system and improved the wiring. The second project, which was completed in the summer of 1996, saw the exterior of the Opera House scraped, structural repairs effected and the entire exterior of the building repainted to its original color scheme.
Finally, the Restoration Committee received a grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont to paint the interior, replace bathrooms with handicapped accessible facilities and address several immediate repair needs. In 1998, the revitalization responsibilities were handed over to the Friends of the Opera House at Enosburg Falls.
The Opera House at Enosburg Falls is, and always will be, a work in progress. Thanks to funds received from a Housing and Urban Development grant and the generous response to the Capital Campaign, major infrastructure renovations to the 123-year-old historic Opera House building began.
The list never ends and upkeep and maintenance are constant. Most recently, the stage floor has been refinished and the refreshment room has been insulated, properly electrified and painted – boasting an upcoming wall which can be perused while enjoying a home-baked treat!
We continue on by pursuing financial opportunities. Our goal is to insulate the building making the facility more comfortable to our patrons all year round. Please consider a donation to support our efforts. You can learn more about making a donation on our Support page.
The Opera House at Enosburg Falls, VT 