Valparaiso’s Memorial Opera House

Introduction

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The Memorial Opera House, also known as Porter County Memorial Opera Hall, was built in 1893 and is such a big historical landmark because it was the meeting place of Chaplain Brown GAR Post No. 106. The building was originally dedicated to Porter County soldiers and sailors who died during the Civil War, but later was dedicated to every soldier. According to The Times of Northwest Indiana, “it was a popular spot for political rallies, concerts, lectures, plays and social events.” It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

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Backstory and Context

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The GAR, The Grand Army of the Republic, was founded in 1866 and was an organization made for Union veterans who served in the Civil War. There are a total of 592 GAR posts in Indiana, The Memorial Opera House being one of them. The house is still used for some of the same things it was when it was first built. They also had a lot of appearances of famous people on the stage in the building. Some of these people include President Theodore Roosevelt, John Philip Sousa, the Marx Brothers, Lowell Thomas, and other performers. The Times of Northwest talk about a lady named Beulah Bondy who performed on the stage when she was just 8 years old. She became and popular actress and was nominated for an Oscar for her role in “The Gorgeous Hussy”. She gave a donation when she came back home to Valparaiso to the Memorial Opera House to purchase new seating. The building is being renovated again so they can keep it as long as possible.

Sources

Ross, Doug. Valparaiso’s Memorial Opera House celebrates 125 years, The Times of Northwest,. February 19th 2020. Accessed September 30th 2020. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/history/valparaiso-s-memorial-opera-house-celebrates-years/article_548749c2-e3ba-51a4-b9fc-af7ff1176f66.html.

Shook, Steven R.. Porter County in the Civil War, Porter County, Indiana. Accessed September 30th 2020. https://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Military/PorterCounty-CivilWar-GAR-Members.html.