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Memorial Day weekend brought hundreds of tourists to Washington. Some of them came to visit the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum. I was delighted to share with them not only Washington’s role in underground railroad history, but some history about Washington as well. I loved pointing out the history of 100 year-old (often older) structures around town and telling them where they could find them.

Many tourists are amazed to discover Washington’s role in being a leader in eastern NC for the arts and culture as well as history. They could not believe Washington had two opera houses!

The first and best known was Brown’s Opera House (pictured as it looked in 1910) on the southeast corner of Main and Market Streets. Built around 1884, it was a showplace for opera companies. The Opera House was located on the second floor of the building and had 1,000 seats. The Opera House also had other types of musical performances there. It was used for school graduations among other educational and social events and famous speakers such as Dr. Booker T. Washington spoke there. The Opera House was converted into office buildings in 1911.

The second opera house was located on the northeast corner of Market and Third Streets. Built in 1912 by R. T. Hodges. The building was known as The Hassell Supply Company.

The Opera House was on the second floor. The Opera House had a 1,000-seat auditorium, dressing rooms, stage and balcony. When this building was erected, it was the largest building per square feet in Washington. The Opera House was used until around 1921. Then the building became the Smith Shirt Factory Complex where the Washington Daily News is located today.

The building is historically listed as The M. (Mason) A. Smith Shirt Factory Building. In March 1912, after The Smith Shirt Factory sustained a total loss of their building (near Ninth and Market Streets) along with stock, $ 1,000 worth of machinery and fixtures due to a fire at The Tar River Hosiery and Knitting Mill, also located near Ninth and Market Streets, the Smith Shirt Factory moved in and occupied the top floor building complex in addition to the Opera House. The Opera House portion later closed and became home to the shirt factory and other businesses.

Operas were also one of the featured attractions at The New Theater which was a Vaudeville Theater on the third floor of the now Turnage Theater.

Washington became known as a town where opera thrived and that’s pretty cool for a small town.