The Historical Newberry Opera Home
The Newberry Safari House is a landmark within downtown Newberry, South Carolina for the last 129 years. The building was completed in 1881 and was designed not only as a place for entertainment, but also to house various units of the city government. It was built in the French Gothic style, and its most unique feature is the 130 foot tower that holds the town clock. The tower is topped with a weathervane in the shape of a garfish.
The original ground floor of the building contained the city council chambers, a clerk’s office, a police office, three jail cells, and room for the town’s fire engine. The second floor contained an auditorium that seated 426 people, a ticket office, dressing rooms, stage curtains, and landscaped sets. Touring companies brought New York plays and variety shows to town to perform in the auditorium. The facility was also booked by lecturers, magicians, vocalists, and other entertainers. The community used the facility for meetings, commencement exercises, and dances. The Opera House was a gathering place for the community.
At the turn of the 20th century, silent films were being shown at the opera house. Then in the 1920s, the building was remodeled as a movie theater. The theater was closed in 1952, although the city still used parts of the building as office space. In the 1960s public outcry saved the old building from demolition. The Newberry Historical Society and other civic groups raised money for the preservation of the Opera House. In 1970 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The facility was reopened in 1998 after a $5.5 million renovation.
Today the Opera House is once again a cornerstone of the community. The facility presents more than 200 events every year, and draws an estimated 100,000 people to Newberry. With state of the art lighting and sound systems, the facility is able to present a wide variety of performances. These range from well known vocalists from all musical genres to traveling Broadway shows.
The Newberry Opera House received the award for Outstanding Theatre for 2008-09, given by the League of Historical American Theatres, celebrating excellence in the performing arts. In October 2010 the Opera House was awarded a gift of $500,000 from the Dufford Center for Cultural Diversity to underwrite the Dufford Cultural Diversity Series. The goal of this series is to help the children of Newberry recognize that peace, understanding, and acceptance are essential to enjoying a successful life.