Hudson Opera House

History

In 1855, the building was constructed for its original purpose, the town’s first city hall. As the town hall it was home to a number of things including the Franklin Library, and the First National Bank of Hudson. It also was used as a lecture hall and as an art gallery. Around 1880 many American town halls were changing their names to “Opera House” to follow the fashion of the Paris Opera house that had been recently constructed. It is due to this trend that the Hudson Opera House got its name. Despite changing its name to Hudson Opera House, the town still used it as their town hall and post office. It was large enough to continue doing it’s federal duties while holding different events such as “traveling lecture presentations and musical and theatrical events to local functions like dances, cotillions, poultry shows and graduations” (Hudson Opera House). Also the upstairs of the opera house was a “common ground where white and black citizens could meet” (Rieser, 2005).

In 1962, after the town hall had been relocated up the street, the Hudson Opera House became a local Moose Lodge but was then sold to an out of town developer. Afterwards the building was left abandoned where it began to decay. A group of concerned citizens decided to gather together and try to renovate the historical building and in 1992 they formed the “Hudson Opera House, Inc.” which is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the Hudson Opera House back to full community use. In 1996 the Hudson Opera House, Inc. began an “Open the Door campaign” which has “raised the money to open the first restored room in the building, the West Room, in December 1997” (Hudson Opera House). Since that time the group has raised enough money to restore five other rooms on the first floor that now are host to numerous different cultural events.

Future

Right now the Hudson Opera House, Inc. are in the stages of planning the final steps for restoring the Opera house. Plans include “installation of an elevator and full restoration of the second floor auditorium” (Hudson Opera House). As the Opera House has been restored, the town of Hudson has been revived with it. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/nyregion/restoration-rings-from-the-rafters-of-the-hudson-opera-house.html?_r=0

Restorations

In December 1997, the Hudson Opera House, Inc. completed restoration of the first room, the West Room. It has new floors, a new ceiling, and has been re-painted. It now is “in frequent use for concerts, lectures and community gatherings” (Hudson Opera House).

In March 2001, the second room, The Center Hall Gallery, was opened to the public. Here the group removed and rebuilt stairs, replaced non-working toilets, and it is now used for events such as receptions and workshops.

In September 2001 the Workshop Room was opened up. Here volunteers placed a new ceiling and floor while re-painting the room. It is now a craft room for anyone of any age to come and create any style and form of art.

In 2002 the Lower Façade Restoration and the East Room Steps were restored. The Lower Façade Restoration was set up as it had originally looked when first constructed while the East Room Steps were removed and replaced.

In 2003 the East Room Offices and in 2004 the Center Door Restoration were completed. For the Center Doors the group took out the c. 1950 aluminum and glass doors that were there and replaced it with wood and glass doors that match the existing 1880 door configuration.

One of the largest projects to date, in 2008 the Hudson Opera House, Inc. installed a new roof and restored the existing 1855 monumental cornice on all four facades.

Events

The Hudson Opera House holds events of all nature. From live performances of theater and music to readings and lectures, workshops, and youth activities; the Hudson Opera House is a place for everyone to find an event or activity to participate in. During the winter the Hudson Opera House produces the town of Hudson’s biggest tourism event, the Winter Walk. During this event people will travel to Hudson to walk through the business section (where the Opera House is located) and observe music and dance performances while visiting the many new local shops that have developed since the restoration of the Hudson Opera House. During the year people can come to participate in workshops that include how to draw, paint, and dance. The Hudson Opera House is also a great place for families to utilize for activities that educate about different aspects of our culture. From Shakespearean productions done for kids to hip hop dancing, the Hudson Opera House has devoted many resources to creating a family friendly environment. There are also many readings and lectures open to the general public. The Hudson Opera House is open year round to provide a constant source of art and education to the Hudson Valley.