THIS IS A STORY OF HOW A BUILDING CAN TELL THE STORY OF A TOWN.

ONCE UPON A TIME MANY YEARS AGO EDGERTON OHIO, A GROWING LITTLE BERG, BUILT A BEAUTIFUL TOWN HALL. DOWNSTAIRS WERE GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUT UPSTAIRS THE GOOD PEOPLE OF EDGERTON BUILT THEMSELVES A BEAUTIFUL THEATRE, AN OPERA HOUSE THEY CALLED IT BACK THEN…NOT AS GRAND AS THIS ONE BUT VERY NICE INDEED.

FOR YEARS THEREAFTER THE TOWNSPEOPLE ENTERTAINED EACH OTHER IN THEIR OPERA HOUSE WITH PLAYS AND CONCERTS. TRAVELING VAUDEVILLE PERFORMERS WOULD ARRIVE AT THE EDGERTON TRAIN DEPOT, WALK ACROSS THE TOWN SQUARE TO THE OPERA HOUSE AND PUT ON A SHOW.

THIS IS EDGERTON’S TOWN HALL TODAY, DOWNSTAIRS STILL BORING OFFICE SPACE BUT UPSTAIRS..THE OPERA HOUSE…NEGLECTED AND A LITTLE GRUNGY BUT INTACT, ALL ORIGINAL AND STILL BEAUTIFUL…THE PROSCENIUM STAGE IS HERE, THE CEILING AND WALLS COVERED WITH HAND-PAINTED MURALS AND STENCILING. AND THE HANDCARVED COLUMNS HOLDING UP THE BALCONY, GILDED AND GORGEOUS.

AND ALL THOSE VAUDEVILLE PERFORMERS THAT STOPPED BY A HUNDRED YEARS AGO? WELL, JUST BEHIND THE ORIGINAL TICKET BOOTH WINDOW THEY LEFT THEIR CALLING CARDS, PENCILED ON THE WALL…PROFESSOR WISE GAVE A CHALK TALK HERE IN 1902…THE BRYAN DRAMATIC COMPANY PERFORMED ‘ISRAEL’S TRIP TO THE CIRCUS’ IN 1903…THE DISCIPLE CHURCH PUT ON THE PLAY ‘PAULINE’ THAT SAME YEAR, DAVIE COVER WAS THE TICKET SELLER.

THIS WALL TELLS THE STORY OF HOW GENERATIONS OF OUR ANCESTORS ENTERTAINED THEMSELVES, WHAT MADE THEM LAUGH AND CRY…THIS OPERA HOUSE, THE STORY OF ONE TOWN’S YEARNING FOR CULTURE, AMUSEMENT AND TOGETHERNESS. THIS LITTLE BRICK BUILDING, STILL ROCK SOLID, REPRESENTS THE HEART AND SOUL OF EDGERTON OHIO, AND THE TOWN COUNCIL BY A VOTE OF FOUR TO THREE, JUST VOTED TO TEAR IT DOWN.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WORKING HARD TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING. WE HOPE THEY’RE SUCCESSFUL. WE’LL KEEP YOU INFORMED.