Businesses to raise awareness for opera house work

BALTIMORE – The Victoria Opera House at 103 W. Main St. has been vacant for about 22 years, except for the village offices in the basement.

But in about 10 years, it will be a bustling arts center featuring movies, musical performances and more if the Baltimore Downtown Restoration Committee has its way.

The committee also wants to open it to the public as a community center for at least some activities in about a year.

“We’re going to do the full restoration in stages,” committee chairwoman Judith Cosgray said. “We don’t want to lose face with the community by promising a lot of things at once. We took over the building four years ago, and it’s been a steady climb since.”

Cosgray said a $30,000 state grant through the Fairfield Heritage Association will go toward the $42,000 needed to restore the windows and doors of the building. The restoration committee also has about $6,000 in cash.

She said she didn’t want to place a dollar figure on what a full renovation may cost because the such costs have a tendency to change.

Cosgray said the Victoria, built in 1905, is the last standing opera house in Fairfield County. She said it was last used for an entertainment venue in the 1960s before the village bought it around 1992 and renovated the basement. Much of the stage and and bottom floor seating area are still intact. There are no seats in the balcony area, however.

The Baltimore Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a sidewalk sale today and Saturday to help raise awareness of the Victoria. J. Gumbo’s and Liberty Tree Coffee & Tea are two of the participating businesses.

The latter business features some original seats from the opera house. Liberty owner Kelly Foltz said she thinks it will someday return to its previous glory.

“I’m very supportive of the opera house,” she said. “I really want to help local businesses. One of the reasons I started the coffee shop was to help the community.”

Foltz said she will donate some of her profits during the sidewalk sale to the Victoria Opera House Restoration Fund.

“The opera house would benefit the entire county, but it needs a lot of work,” she said.

Baughman said the opera house reminds him of the building at 108 N. Main St. he and his wife, Heather, opened their business in.

“Both my wife and I have an interest in the (opera) building,” he said. “It’s a sister to our building and we see a lot of potential in it.”

The opera house will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

These are the businesses the listed on the Baltimore Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page that are participating in the sidewalk sale:

J. Gumbos at 108 N. Main St.

Liberty Tree Coffee & Tea at 201 W. Market St.

Whozits and Whatzits at 101 S. Walnut St.

Arrogantly Shabby Home at 1203 W. Market St.

Salvage Gals at 1407 W. Market St.

The Baltimore VFW at 2105 Reynoldsburg-Baltimore Rd.