The Manitowoc Opera House
Imagine taking a drive on eighth street in Manitowoc today, and as you pass the bridge and approach the 400 block of the north portion, you see Kwik Trip, a sight that is quite common in Manitowoc today. Over 100 years ago, though, the sight that people would witness was the Ceske Slovanska Lipa Opera House. Throughout the near 90 years that the Opera House existed it was a lively center for Manitowoc County.
This photo was taken in 1973, just months before the Opera House was demolished. MCHS 2009.65.721
The building and construction of the Opera House finished up in 1881. From that time on, the building was seemingly rarely empty. Each month the owners of the Opera House sponsored one dance, and in addition to this there were seasonal dances. The space was also available for rent by the public for various kinds of functions, such as business holiday parties. In fact, the Elks club held their annual Christmas Ball at the Opera House for many years. The Girl Scouts also held conferences in the large ballroom.
Some of the seasonal dances that took place in the Opera House included the annual Christmas dance and the February Valentine Masquerade ball. The Christmas dance attracted an enormous crowd of adults and children each year. Ruth Pech Gillespie, wrote about the 1910 Christmas celebration and how there was a large Christmas tree in the middle of the ballroom, while sparkling garland and ornaments adorned the rest of the extravagant room. In addition to the Christmas ball, there was the annual February Valentine Masquerade Ball. Guests dressed in unique outfits that included peaked hats, and a lot of beads. In fact, guests at the ball promenaded before judges to see who the best single, pair, and group of guests were.
The Opera House was home to many other programs and events. On Friday evenings after school, for example, there was a dance class. Young school children came to the dance class dressed in their best suits and dresses each week to sharpen their dancing skills. Their parents often watched from the balcony that lay above the ballroom. The Opera House also hosted many concerts, ranging from local orchestra concerts to Marine Band concerts. Oddly enough, the Opera House was home to some quite unique events. In 1910, for example, there was a poultry exhibit. The dance floor was covered in cages that held pure-bred chickens. One could say the ball room was quite versatile in the events it was capable of hosting. As time went on, the Opera House began to act as a movie theater. Silent films were often played there.
Around 1920 the Opera House began to slowly close the curtain. With changing times, the Opera House was losing business to bigger movie theaters and event spaces. In addition, local dances lost their appeal. At the same time concerts began to be held in larger communities. The offerings of the Opera House were dwindling down. In 1921, the Opera House was abandoned. After that, the building was subject to vandalism. During this time, many worked to preserve the historic building, but in July of 1973, the building was torn down. So, the next time you stop at the 8th street Kwik Trip, think about all the good times that people shared together in the once existing Opera House.