Bardavon 1869 Opera House

Collingwood Opera House and Office Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, USA
Coordinates:	41°42′10.72″N 73°55′45.35″W / 41.7029778°N 73.9292639°W / 41.7029778; -73.9292639Coordinates: 41°42′10.72″N 73°55′45.35″W / 41.7029778°N 73.9292639°W / 41.7029778; -73.9292639
Built:	1869
Architect:	Wood, J. A.
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	77000939 [1]
Added to NRHP:	October 20, 1977

The Bardavon 1869 Opera House ( /ˈbɑrdəvɒn/), in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State. Built in 1869, it served as a venue for various performing arts, community meetings, and celebrations until 1923; it largely resumed this heritage by becoming a general performing-arts facility in 1976.^[2] In the interlude period from 1923 to 1975, it served as a cinema, although there were some live performances, especially vaudeville, during this period.^[2] Originally called the Collingwood Opera House after its owner and operator James Collingwood, the theater featured an unusual two-stage dome.^[3] Between 1869 and 1921, many notable figures of the day graced the Bardavon's stage, including Sarah Bernhardt and John Barrymore.^[4]

History

The Bardavon was designed by prominent Poughkeepsie architect J. A. Wood and built by James S. Post, the latter notable for designing or erecting architectural structures in the Poughkeepsie central business district and Vassar College.^[5] An extensive renovation was undertaken in 1905 and supervised by architect William Beardsley, who also designed the Dutchess County Court House and Attica state prison. The theater was not reopened until January 1, 1923, when it was opened under the new name The Bardavon Theater.

At that time, it was bought by Paramount, and in 1928 a Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ was added. It is most likely the theater where cult film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. served as an usher in his youth, although sources don't often specify the Bardavon by name. In 1947, the theater was further modernized and a movie marquee added. The style of the interior after the renovation has been described as neo-classic.

View of the stage

The venue continued as a cinema up until 1975, when massive redevelopment of the downtown area threatened it with demolition. Sitting where it does, it was near-adjacent to the site of the new Civic Center and a proposed arterial highway project. There were plans to raze the building and use the site for a parking lot.^[4] Concerned citizens banded together to save the theater and were successful in getting it named to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1977 — and renamed The Bardavon 1869 Opera House. Since then, over $5 million has been raised and used to partially renovate the Bardavon, which is now in use again as a venue for a broad range of performing arts including theater, dance, music, opera, and other genres.

The Bardavon has been the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic for over 40 years. In one notable 1953 performance, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt provided the narration for Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf'.^[6]

Name by dates

• Collingwood Opera House: 1869–1921
• Bardavon Theater: 1923–1975
• Bardavon 1869 Opera House: 1976–present

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2006-03-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Bardavon 1869 Opera House — Virtual Tour
3. ^ About The Bardavon
4. ^ ^{a b} Bardavon theater's shows go on
5. ^ History of Vassar College — 1871–1890
6. ^ Hudson Valley Philharmonic: A Brief History

• Bardavon Architecture
• Cinema Treasures

External links

Hudson Valley portal

• Official site