Opera House is Offered for Sale
Box Elder News, 1 March 1918, page 1
The bishops of the four city wards, who form the managing directorate of the Brigham City Opera House company, have decided to dispose of the property. Shortly before the building was gutted by fire, the board of directors had under contemplation the operating of the house as a moving picture theatre for the benefit of the four wards. When the fire came, all those plans were immediately quashed for it was fully realized that the house could not be restored for the amount of insurance and so the property has stood until now the decision to dispose of it has been reached. There is a frontage of ground on Forest street of 77 feet and 114 feet on First West street and the corner is recognized as one of the most valuable in this city.
The opera house was originally erected, in Co-op days, to provide public amusement for the people. After the Co-op store outgrew its first quarters in the little old building which stood where the Hanson Furniture store now stands, it was removed to the opera house and there it remained until the present First National Bank building was erected when the old building was fitted up for theatre and dancing purposes. After a time it passed from the hands of the church to private individuals and for a number of years was operated by them when the Third ward purchased it and under the sagacious management of former Bishop Lorenzo N. Stohl, the play house yielded a handsome revenue to that ward. Later the other three wards were permitted to acquire a fourth interest each and since that time the property has been jointly owned by the four wards. Only for a short period did the wards operate it, however, and then leased the property to private individuals. The lease expired just a short time before the building was gutted by fire.
During the growth of the city, the opera house corner has increased in value so that it is worth many times the original price paid for it by the ecclesiastical wards. The managing directors have asked for sealed bids on the property, which will be opened on April 1st.
The opera house was originally erected, in Co-op days, to provide public amusement for the people. After the Co-op store outgrew its first quarters in the little old building which stood where the Hanson Furniture store now stands, it was removed to the opera house and there it remained until the present First National Bank building was erected when the old building was fitted up for theatre and dancing purposes. After a time it passed from the hands of the church to private individuals and for a number of years was operated by them when the Third ward purchased it and under the sagacious management of former Bishop Lorenzo N. Stohl, the play house yielded a handsome revenue to that ward. Later the other three wards were permitted to acquire a fourth interest each and since that time the property has been jointly owned by the four wards. Only for a short period did the wards operate it, however, and then leased the property to private individuals. The lease expired just a short time before the building was gutted by fire.
During the growth of the city, the opera house corner has increased in value so that it is worth many times the original price paid for it by the ecclesiastical wards. The managing directors have asked for sealed bids on the property, which will be opened on April 1st.