In the last blog, we talked about the fire of 1883 that destroyed the original Burwell Building. This installment will talk about the rebuilding of the Burwell Building and the construction of the great Opera House.
After the fire on January 29, 1883 destroyed most of the wooden structures on the west side of North Sangamon Avenue between Eighth and Ninth Streets, the business owners vowed to rebuild. Just a few weeks after the fire, due to the extent of the fire and the number of buildings it destroyed, the City of Gibson passed an ordinance stating that any buildings built within a certain area of the downtown district must be constructed of brick. So, local banker M. T. Burwell began rebuilding with brick.
Paxton Brick and Tile company had a busy year in 1883. They provided the bricks used to re-build the buildings lost in the fire. The Weekly Pantagraph reports in their March 23, 1883 issue “The Paxton brick and tile company have closed a sale to J.H. Collier and W. Moyer, of Gibson, of 250,000 bricks with which to rebuild the burnt district in that village. The company just completed the delivery of 100,000 to Lewis and Oliver of the same place.”
On April 12, 1883, the corner stone was laid for the Burwell Building. The Burwell building is a 50’ x 100’, two story building. The first floor is divided into 2 retail spaces, called the North and South rooms.
In May of 1883, M. T. Burwell announces the second floor will be an Opera House. The building is to be the tallest building in Gibson City, at that time. It is reported a few weeks later that the new building will be lighted with gas.
In July of 1883, the buildings on the block were once again hit by disaster – this time, mother nature. A tornado came thru Gibson City and caused damage to some of the buildings under construction, including the Burwell building. Since the tornadoes blew down some of the walls of the second story, Mr. Burwell decided to make some improvements regarding its ventilation by putting 5 large windows on the south side.
In Nov of 1883, the Courier reports that Mr. Burwell’s Opera House is nearing completion. The article mentions that the hall will be a “much finer room than was at first anticipated.” Mr. Burwell spared no expense to give Gibson City the Opera Hall it deserved. I can just imagine the excitement running thru the townspeople as they eagerly awaited the opening of this fine establishment.
The first floor of the building was finished in November of 1883. N. S. Johnson and Company occupy the South room. The retail space becomes a grocery store. The North room was rented by G.W. Morris. Morris was a furniture maker and had recently added a hearse to this stock. His plans were to add a fine line of burial cases.
The second floor of the brick building was finished in December of 1883. The Opera Hall, with a stage illuminated by gas footlights, was the town's pride and joy. In fact, the Burwell building was made famous at this time, because the entire building was lighted by gas. Many social events, out-of-town shows, local talent entertainment, and high school commencements were held there. The Burwell Opera House became to be known as "The Center of the Town's Entertainment".
On December 14, 1883, the second floor ‘was packed with a dense mass of humanity’ when the formal dedication to the new Opera Hall was held. The Lott Post No. 70, G.A.R. hosted their Camp Fire to dedicate and formally open the new Opera Hall. The Courier reported that ‘the ample stage – 20 x 38 feet – was beautifully decorated with bunting for the occasion and afforded plenty of room for the evolutions of the old soldier boys” (a reference to the Grand Army Boys who performed that day). Mr. C.H. Yeomans delivered a dedication address in which ‘he called attention to the new Hall, one of the best in the State, and finer in its appointments than many towns of five times the population of our can boast”.
Our next blog will start to focus on the events and entertainment held in the Opera Hall. And, the role the railroad played in the type and quality of entertainment.
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