DARLINGTON, Wis. – For 75 of its nearly 130 years, the Driver Opera House served as this cultural center of Darlington.
Built in 1883 by Josephus Driver, the patriarch of a prominent Darlington family, the flat floor Opera House is on the second floor of a two story building constructed of Milwaukee cream city brick. The Opera House features a 15 foot by 25 foot raised stage with an audience seating capacity of 225. The first floor was used then, as it is now, as downtown retail space. After hosting traveling theater groups for much of its early history, the Opera House held its last dance, sponsored by the American Legion, on St. Patrick’s Day in 1951. Since then, the Opera House has remained unused and untouched.
The goal of The Driver Opera House Restoration Project is to restore the physical structure to its original beauty and value to the community. The first floor will be flood proofed to allow the safe use of the building for retail in the busy Darlington downtown. The second story will be returned to public space used for musical and theatrical performances and innovative programming for the arts as well as other community and private events.
The completed Driver Opera House Center for the Arts will provide space to local theatrical groups to stage live performances as well as serve as a venue for community events and activities including dance lessons, poetry recitals, music performances, storytelling, art exhibits, creative workshops, and much more. Additionally, the space will be available for private rental for family reunions, receptions, and other social functions.
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