The Woodward Opera House: Mount Vernon's Best Kept Secret

In the small, quiet and picturesque town of Mount Vernon in central Ohio, one will find an absolute gem of 19^th century architecture, as well as an important piece of American music and art history. The Woodward Opera House, circa 1851, is America's oldest authentic 19^th century theater still in existence today. Originally named Woodward Hall, the opera house stands in the center of Mount Vernon's business district on the corner of Main Street and West Vine.

The hall was built by local entrepreneur Dr. Ebenezer Woodward, whose desire was to provide a place large enough for entertainment in the arts. In 1883, Woodward Hall was expanded to include a balcony, and increase the theater's overall square footage. The first floor of the building was, and is still today, occupied by local merchants. The second floor was home to professional and commercial offices all the way until the 1960's, while the 3^rd and 4^th floors were home to the theater until the mid 1920's. After the 20's, the theater was used as a gymnasium (areas used for game scoring can still be seen today), roller skating, and storage.

The Woodward was home to dramas, comedies, minstrels, and Mount Vernon's most famous musician, Daniel Decatur Emmett, who immortalized with his songs Dixie, Turkey in the Straw,Old Dan Tucker, and others. The Woodward also saw such shows as a pre-publication performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin and from Al Field's Minstrel Company.

Today, walking into the Woodward immediately evokes a sense of nostalgia of days gone by, and the gentle slope of the floor leading to the stage and the acoustically designed horseshoe balcony transports visitors to past dramatic performances. The original paintings adorning the stage, stenciling adorning the walls, and the woodwork speak volumes of the masterful artistry of the time period. The Woodward Opera House is currently going under restoration with the aid of several funding venues and grants. Restoration efforts began in the 1970's, and efforts were starting to be realized when the Opera House was placed on the National Register for Historical Places. The Woodward is the only recipient in Ohio to receive two Save America's Treasure's grants, and is one of 11 to receive two SAT grants in the country. The Knox Partnership for Arts and Culture hope to have the Woodward Opera House operational sometime in 2009.The entire structure will be restored, and brought to current codes to be a fully functional venue open to the public for art and music presentations as well as special events.