Sumter Opera House

Erected in 1895, the Sumter Opera House building is one of the city's best-known landmarks. It is somewhat unique in that serves as both an entertainment venue and City Hall. This dual purpose has made the building an important cultural and political center for the community. It was, in fact, the first permanent home of the city government and was also referred to as the Town Hall. The Opera House has also been the location of a meat market, barbershop, movie theater, and jail. The theater seats 500 people and hosts a variety of performances throughout the year. In terms of architecture, the building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and features a stone exterior, an attractive 100-foot-tall clock tower, and arched windows. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

The Opera House was the second multipurpose structure built for the city. The first was constructed in 1873 and it also served as a town hall, theater, and marketplace. That building was originally known as the Opera House, but in 1873, that historic structure was renamed Music Hall. In 1889, the Sumter City Council leased the building for three years and the building's name was changed again, this time to the Academy of Music. That former structure was remodeled in 1890 and only two years later, it was destroyed in a fire that also led to the loss of a number of nearby buildings.

Construction for the present Opera House began in 1893 and the work was completed in 1895. In 1936, the theater portion of the Opera House was renovated into a movie theater and it operated for 46 years. In 1984, the City bought the building and renovated it in the hopes of helping revitalize downtown. The work was completed in 1987. City Hall moved into the building again (when it left the first time is unclear). The theater hosts local performers and groups as well as national touring acts.

Mathews, Braxton. "Sumter Town Hall /Opera House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. May 24, 1973. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/a326af38-8b45-4336-aa52-85e5a896d2aa.

"Opera House History." Sumter Opera House. Accessed June 1, 2021. https://www.sumtersc.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/Departments/Downtown/OperaHouse/operahousehistory.pdf.