- City:
- Sumter, SC
- Site Type:
- Civic Facilities, Auditoriums and Arenas, City and Town Halls
- New Deal Agencies:
- Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Started:
- 1935
- Completed:
- 1936
Description
The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funding for the remodeling of the 1893 Opera House building, converting much of the four-story building into municipal offices. The building houses Sumter’s city hall to this day.
Wikipedia:
“The building was remodeled in 1936, converting the first floor into a movie theater and the second floor opera house into offices.”
SumterSC.gov:
“The cornerstone was reset in May, and a $120,000 renovation transformed the Opera House into a moving picture theater. This project also provided jobs for 300 workers in the midst of the Great Depression.”
“The very first film shown at the Opera House was Earthworm Tractors. Tickets to the first movie were 35 cents for adults and 10 cents for children.”
The PWA provided a grant of $50,400 for the project, which was completed at a cost of $119,810. Work began Dec. 1935 and was completed Aug. 1936.
Source notes
https://www.sumtersc.gov/about-us.aspx https://www.sumtersc.gov/Data/Sites/1/media/community/culture-recreation/operahousehistory.pdfSite originally submitted by Evan Kalish on September 12, 2014.
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