Pella Opera House

The Pella Opera House is a historic building located in Pella, Iowa, United States. Herman Rietveld, a local businessman and promoter, was the main backer for building the opera house, which was underwritten by the Pella Opera House Association. A previous opera house had been destroyed in a fire in the late 19th century. Pella architect Henry DeGooyer designed the four story, brick Romanesque Revival structure. He used the opera house in Sioux City, Iowa, as his guide. The locally produced orange-colored bricks are said to be distinctive to Pella.[2]

Pella Opera House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	611 Franklin St. Pella, Iowa
Coordinates	41°24′23″N 92°54′55″W
Area	Less than one acre
Built	1900
Architect	Henry DeGooyer
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.	91001080[1]
Added to NRHP	March 20, 1992

The opera house opened in November 1900 and regularly served its intended purpose for only a few years. After that it sporadically hosted stage performances until 1918. The building was converted into a commercial building at that time. It continued to serve that purpose until the 1980s when the Pella Opera House Commission acquired the property and converted back into a live entertainment venue. A Des Moines architect, Lawrence M. Erickson, was architect for the rehabilitation project, completed in 1990. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[1]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. William C. Page. "Pella Opera House". National Park Service. Retrieved 1 August 2016. with photos