The Opera House

Plans for this evening? If this was 1892 you could enjoy a Game of Living Whist at the Dover City Hall & Opera House--music to be supplied by the city's own orchestra. The City Hall and Opera house was dedicated December 16, 1891 and cost $250,00 to build. It featured a floor that could rise and fall, a chandelier with 95 electric bulbs, three tiers of boxes with brass rails, velvet curtains with gold fringe, a frescoed ceiling and a cupid mural. The Opera House had a seating capacity of 1800 and was the largest stage in New Hampshire. Luminaries such as Jason Robards, Alfred Lunt, Shirley Booth and John Philip Sousa’s band graced the stage. The first full length movie shown here was “Birth of a Nation” starring Lillian Gish.