County of building: Dade County
Location of building: Water St. & Allison St., Greenfield
Built: 1880s
Architect: W. E. Foley
Location is front entrance
"Visitors to Greenfield see the square lined with brick buildings built in the 1880's - with bricks made in the Greenfield Brickyard. The Opera House, which opened in 1888, called the "Jewel of the Square" is still used for the summer productions of the Dade County Community Theatre." ~ Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce
"The first floor of the building is divided into three equally sized commercial spaces measuring
approximately 21' wide by 80' long. (See Illustration No. 2) Two of the three commercial spaces
are still used for retail purposes. The third shopfront currently is used for storage. In addition to
their original shopfronts, all three spaces still have their original pressed metal ceilings and
cornices.
"The second floor of the building may be reached by either of the two staircases on the West
side of the building. At the Southwest corner of the building, an original interior staircase leads
to the second floor and continues to the third floor. In addition, an exterior staircase in the
middle of the building's West facade leads to the other second story entrance. Although this
staircase was constructed in the late 1980's, it is located in the same position as the original
covered exterior staircase.
"The third floor is divided into three rooms, a long rectangular main room measuring
approximately 20' wide by 40' long, a smaller room on the South end of the building, and a
storage room on the North end accessed by a short ladder. (See Illustration No. 4) Many of the
decorative features of the third floor rooms including original wallpaper, millwork and arched
windows also still exist. These rooms were originally were used as lodge rooms and as a
ballroom. Today, these rooms are used for costume storage."
"Although the Greenfield Opera House Building was almost lost due to neglect, it is, as
perhaps the only nineteenth-century second-story opera house in Missouri in use today as a
performance facility, one of the most significant theatre buildings in Missouri. Moreover, the
building displays much of its original design and detailing. With the help of the Opera House
Corporation and the Dade County Community Theatre Company, the Greenfield Opera
House Building may once again be, as it was proclaimed in an 1888 newspaper article, "the
prettiest little opera house in the Southwest."~ NRHP Nomination Form