Chester City Hall & Opera House - Chester, SC - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Large brick 3 story building sitting on top of a hall overlooking the city of Chester, South Carolina which includes a clock tower added during 1984's renovation. Current use is the city hall and other municipal offices. A wooden text historic box says the following of the building.

CHESTER CITY HALL 1890-1891
Erected as a city hall & opera house. This Richardson Romanesque building was the center of the area's political & cultural activities. It suffered a disasterous fire in 1929 & was renovated with the gables altered & the clock tower removed. It was extensively repaired in 84.

Text from the National Register of Historic Places
Built in 1890-91 by Columbia architect, Frank Munson, the Chester City Hall and Opera House has a long history of cultural and civic activity. The building’s extensive and elaborate use of brick and principal construction material enhances its massive Romanesque Revival style. The façade is arranged in three distinct phases. The tower at left dominates the gabled central section which in turn dominates the less ornate section on the right. Originally all three entrances of the façade were recessed, Roman arches with ornate keystones and voussoirs formed by one stretcher/one header design. A stringcourse between the first two floors has a foliated design. Since 1891, this building has been the hub of Chester’s political activity. The town’s administrative offices have been located here since the building’s construction. The city jail and fire department had also used the building before moving to new facilities. The third floor was originally designed for use as an Opera House complete with gallery, box seats, dress circle and pit seats. The Opera House was also the scene of many community festivities such as talent shows, graduation exercises, recitals and concerts. When the interior was renovated following the 1929 fire, the Opera House was not restored. The fire also destroyed the original spire tower which contained a four-faced clock. Listed in the National Register March 30, 1973.
Source: (visit link)

Street address: 100 West End Street Chester, SC USA County / Borough / Parish: Chester Year listed: 1973 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Government, Recreation And Culture (sub-functions City Hall, Theater) Current function: Government Privately owned?: no Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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