History of the Claremont Opera House
2017 Grand Drape Restoration
Thanks to the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Claremont Opera House will restore and reinstall the historic, original grand drape, hand-painted canvas that served as the main stage curtain when the opera house opened over 119 years ago in 1897. COH also hopes to restore the two hand-painted canvas drapery panels or “legs” …
Early 1900’s at the COH
In the early 1900’s the Claremont Opera House was the entertainment center for the area. Helping make this a reality was a Claremont druggist named Harry Eaton. Eaton managed the Opera House for 32 years. He brought stock companies for plays, road companies for one night stands, musicals, vaudeville minstrel shows, and films. In 1906, …
Building Dedication 1897
The Opera House is located in the Claremont City Hall Building. Dedication of the building occurred on June 22, 1897. The cost was $62,000. The style of the building is Italian Renaissance Revival. The architect was Charles A. Rich. Rich was a native of Beverly, Massachusetts, and graduated from Dartmouth College. Hira Beckwith, an architect …