By City Historian, Patricia Perry
The Sonora Opera Hall, at the south end of the business district, has a long and varied history. It was built from the ruins of the Star Flouring Mills in 1885, which had been constructed in 1879 by James George Divoll.
In November 1878, Divoll purchased Lots Ten and Eleven in Block 30 on south Washington Street for $250.00 in gold coin, for the purpose of constructing a flour mill. On the hill behind the property he constructed a reservoir to hold water that would be used to power the mill.[2] This reservoir received water from Phoenix Lake. The water ran in ditches to a pipe that went over Washington street and then into another ditch that went on the east side of today’s Knowles’ hill. By June 1879, Divoll’s flouring mill was nearly complete with the machinery being put in place. Power was furnished by an improved turbine water wheel which was the invention of Divoll.[3] Divoll’s partner in the flouring mill was Joseph Bray.
The Star Flouring Mills was a welcome addition to Sonora,[4] but probably just as important to Divoll and Bray was that it provided a place to store gold from the Bonanza mine. Sometime in the mid-1870s, Divoll and partners Charles Clark and Joseph Bray acquired the Bonanza mine. The mine had been worked by various people since the early 1850s; but, the partnership of Divoll, Clark and Bray were certainly the most successful up until this time.
Gold from the Bonanza mine was stored at the flouring mill until it could be transported to San Francisco. Jacob Bray, Joseph’s brother was the night watchman at the mill, sleeping overnight there.
Exactly what happened in the early morning hours of August 6, 1885 is unknown, but the Star Flouring Mills was totally destroyed by fire, and the burned body of Jacob Bray was found in the remains. According to descendants of Divoll, several men were playing poker the evening before at the mill.[6] This was not an unusual occurrence, and it helped to pass the time for Jacob. Two men at the table that night seemed especially curious about the gold they thought was stored at the mill. It was always believed that these two men broke into the mill to steal the gold, and whether on purpose or accidentally started the fire that destroyed the building and killed Jacob Bray.
Almost immediately after the fire Divoll and Bray decided to construct the Opera Hall from the foundation of the flouring mill. The perimeter walls had not been destroyed and Sonora had long been in need of a sizeable community hall. Prior to this there was the Turn Verein hall that was located where Court House park is today.
The first event at the Opera Hall was a roller skating carnival and ball held the evening of December 24, 1885. To quote the Tuolumne Independent of December 26, 1885: “The Skating Carnival and Ball, at the new hall, on Tuesday Evening, was well attended, in spite of the torrents of rain which fell for several hours after nightfall. The bad roads also prevented many country people from attending, although many were present from neighboring towns. It is estimated that about 350 people were present, a large majority of whom were ladies. The receipts were $136. The Columbia Cornet Band, in uniform, was present, and furnished superb music at intervals. The beautiful hall was brilliantly lighted, and the gay costumes of the different masqueraders, as they circled around the room on the swift rolling skates, was like a picture from fairly land. At about 10:30 dancing commenced and lasted until midnight, when an adjournment was had to Rudorff’s restaurant, where an excellent supper was served in the genial host’s best style. An abundance of everything good was thoroughly enjoyed, and many returned to the ball room; but a majority went home to prepare for the advent of Santa Claus, the particular friend of the juveniles. The hall was decorated with evergreens and flowers, with the large chandelier being especially elegant. On each side of the stage appeared the words, “Opera Hall” in ornamental letters of green leaves and flowers, which will be the name by which the new hall will hereafter be designated.”
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Sonora turned all out for Washington’s Birthday. In February 1886. “Shortly after eight o’clock the Columbia firemen were met near McCormick’s (at the current intersection of Washington Street and Highway 49) by the Sonora firemen and the procession marched through the main street to the new hall of Divoll and Bray. At no former time was the illumination more general than on this occasion, equaling Fourth of July and other demonstrations. Reaching the hall, the two Departments exchanged compliments and cheered each other when the Columbia Cornet Band played stirring tunes. With the band, there was about eighty in uniform from Columbia, which was a splendid turn out. The Sonora boys turned out in full force and made a very fine appearance, one that would bring credit to them anywhere. When the grand march was called the hall was filled to overflowing, there being probably the largest collection of people that ever attended a ball in Sonora. The scene was very fine as red and blue shirts with their tasteful trimmings added to the colors of the ladies’ toilets, passed through the various evolutions of the march. There was scarcity of room which caused some little confusion between partners in the dance that followed the march. Dancing was kept up until after four o’clock next morning. All of the participants were delighted and unanimously agreed that it was the largest and one of the best arranged parties they ever attended.”[9]
By 1890, Keeffe and Hartvig were operating the Opera Hall on Saturday afternoons and evenings during the winter. (For roller skating?)
Sometime in 1896, Joseph Bray acquired Divoll’s interest in the property. Not wanting to continue operating the building as a community hall, Bray joined with John Rother to open a carpenter shop and planning mill in the building. To quote the Union Democrat: “It is a source of much regret to our people to learn that the only public hall in Sonora worthy of the name is to be converted into a carpenter shop and forever closed as a place for giving public exhibitions.
“The owner of the Opera Hall, Mr. Joseph Bray, has determined to establish a carpenter shop in the place for the reason that, as he says, he has not received sufficient profits from the rent of the building to pay the taxes on it.
“It seems a shame that the one building in the town to which our people were wont to point with pride is to be transferred into a carpenter shop.”[10]
The Francis Bacon piano that was used in the Opera Hall was left there when Bray and Rother began their carpenter shop. Rother took the piano to his home on south Shepherd Street, where it remained in the front room, unused for many years. About 1908, Bernhard Meyer purchased the piano for his granddaughter, Audria Mallard. It remained in the Mallard home until the death of Audria’s mother, Theresa Mallard in 1964. After her death it was donated to the Tuolumne County Museum. When the City of Sonora acquired the Opera Hall in 1985, Larry Lavagnino, the son-in-law of Theresa Mallard, requested that the piano be returned to the Opera Hall. The Museum Board of Governors very generously complied. Because of the style of the piano, the city has determined that restoration would not be practical. The city is very proud to have such a wonderful piece of the Opera Hall’s history on display in the lobby.
In 1911, Joseph Francis and John B. Damas purchased the Opera Hall property from the estate of Joseph Bray. The men had become partners in 1903 when they started the Damas Machine Works.[11] Soon after their purchase of the Opera Hall they opened the Opera Hall Garage. In 1922 the men dissolved their partnership and Francis took over the Opera Hall Garage and Damas kept the machine works.[12]
Many additions and alterations were done to the Opera Hall building during its tenure as a garage and automobile dealership. The exterior balcony was removed around 1912, and a large garage door was cut into the center front of the building. Around 1919 there was an addition to the front of the building, extending it approximately eight feet towards the street. This addition was used for office space and as a parts area. On the south side of the building a 60-foot-long addition was constructed for use as a new car show room. As early as 1912 a shed structure was constructed on the north side of the building, which was enclosed by 1926. The rear of the building was also extended. The stage area was completely removed and a loft was added above the former stage area for parts storage.
Fortunately for the city, when these additions were completed, very little was done to the existing building, interior or exterior. The stage was removed, but the balcony remained as did all of the interior paneling. The Opera Hall Garage operated on this site until 1979 when the Francis family sold the property to Phillip and Janice Ieckard and Daniel L. Thiel. The property was subsequently deeded to John and Segrid Banks. On November 21, 1980 Margaret Dienalt purchased the property.
In the mid-1970s, David Purdy of Columbia Actors’ Repertory (CAR) began promoting the restoration of the Sonora Opera Hall as a private project. The building’s owner, Margaret Dienalt of Monterey, California, was very supportive of Mr. Purdy’s project. Mrs. Dienalt had also purchased the Gunn House property, which her daughter, Peggy Schoell operated. It was Mr. Purdy’s desire to have the Opera Hall restored to a theater for the use of the Columbia Actors’ Repertory, with him as the manager.
However, after several years of determined effort it became evident that the Opera Hall restoration could only be accomplished by the public sector; there simply were not enough private monies available. Mr. Purdy, with the consent of Mrs. Dienalt, approached the city to see if they would consider acquiring the building and restoring it. He still wanted Columbia Actors’ Repertory to be the major tenant. However, CAR was part of Columbia College, and they were not ready to commit any funding for a long term lease of the proposed restoration.
In 1986, the City of Sonora acquired title to the property and began the task of planning the restoration of the Sonora Opera Hall. Margaret Dienalt donated her equity in the property and the remaining note in the amount of $106,014.57, payable to Dorothy Francis, was assumed by the city. Bill Smith was the City Administrator at this time, but left the city shortly after the transferred was completed.
Dave Purdy was still a strong advocate for CAR’s use of the restored hall, even though the college was not committed and the city was very concerned that it would not be available for community use, as desired by the city. The city council and staff were very concerned that Mr. Purdy’s plans for the hall would be too expensive and his conception of the project would not be conducive to the city’s goals.
City Administrator, Mark Bautista, and Finance Director, Patricia Perry were very concerned that city staff did not have the expertise to manage or develop the project. They knew they needed outside help, but were unsure of the best approach. In the fall of 1987 they learned that the League of Historic American Theaters (LHAT) was having an all day workshop in Woodland, California. The workshop subject was restoring old theaters and was being held in Woodland because they were in the process of restoring their opera house. The meeting was on a Saturday, from 8:00am until 5:00pm. Mark and Pat met at city hall at 5:00am for the drive to Woodland. They were so glad they attended the workshop as it confirmed their opinion that the city needed help from an outside source.
Members of LHAT could have a “free” appraisal of their project by one of their members, who was an expert in the field of restoration and operation of an historic venue. The cost to the city would be for transportation, lodging and meals. Eager to see the project come to fruition, the Gunn House donated lodging with the city picking up the cost of meals and transportation.
Robert Murray, Executive Director, of the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado was chosen to review our project. Bob was in Sonora on March 28th and 29th of 1988. He met with the various people who were interested in the project, which included David Purdy in joint meetings, and alone. Bob’s report was very helpful to the city as he had the same concerns as staff regarding the future use of the hall. He felt that “the Opera Hall is indeed a hall as opposed to theatre, built to accommodate a variety of events….it will work most successfully for large public events: social Balls, exhibitions, etc.” In private meetings with Mark and Pat he expressed concerns that the hall should not be a “vanity project” for any one person. (See Exhibit A for a copy of his report) filed in 16-105-004-01-07
In September 1988. the city council approved a contract, in the amount of $139,300, with Architectural Resources Group (ARG) to provide architectural/engineering services for the Opera Hall. City Engineer, Jerry Fuccillo, was an integral part of developing the plans.
Although the city had approved the contract with ARG and was moving forward with developing the plans, the building was quite an eyesore, and we were getting many negative comments from the local residents. In the spring of 1989, City Administrator, Mark Bautista, got a call from Irving Symons regarding the building, asking if something couldn’t be done to help its appearance. Mark explained that the city was very reluctant to spend money on the front façade, knowing it was to be removed during restoration. After talking some more, Mark and Irving came up with the idea to have a paint party.
In August 1989, the Opera Hall Committee, composed of city staff and council members, Jack Cassinetto and Jack Rucker met with the donors. It was the opinion of the donors, and Dave Purdy that, “the hall should not be opened for use in less than a completely operable state (i.e., in a state in which the user receives a negative perception of the Opera Hall—for example, since air conditioning is not included in the habitable building idea, a person in the Opera Hall on a hot day could form a permanent perception that the Hall is not kept at a comfortable temperature—and never attend another function). It was evident from preliminary bids that the city would never have sufficient funds to create the facility the donors and Mr. Purdy wanted. The city council also came to the conclusion that the donors and Mr. Purdy’s vision was not compatible with the city needs. The Opera Hall Committee felt strongly that the city should move forward with the habitable shell approach, and not a completely operable theater, which included a ‘U’ shaped balcony and collapsible theater seating.[13]
The first phase of restoration was for the selective demolition of the north, east and west building additions and the construction of a retaining wall and site drainage. This phase was completed in March of 1992, at a total cost of $109,700.00, by Leslie G. Delbon, Construction.
The second phase, approved in early 1993, was for structural rehabilitation of the existing masonry walls and roof with re-roofing. In included addition of the front balcony, interior mezzanine, restoration of exterior walls and original façade. A small north side addition included two single occupancy handicap bathrooms. The proscenium arch was widened by a few feet and the interior paneling was replaced or restored. Site and utility development including a new front sidewalk, much of which was later replaced by a “gift brick” brick program, new water, sewer and electrical connections. The main electrical panel was sufficient for a possible future theater. At the end of phase two the building was a habitable shell. It did not include the flooring, window coverings or access to the interior balcony.
Early in 1992, the city council authorized the forming of a fund raising committee, known as the Friends of the Sonora Opera Hall. It was comprised of local citizens and city Finance Director, Patricia Perry. The major fund raising source was a “Gift Brick” program which netted the Friends over $50,000. These monies were used for specific projects.
Draperies were the first major purchase by the Friends, and added greatly to a more finished look and better acoustics.
Phase two did not include stairs to the mezzanine. Although most people refer to it as a balcony, codes required two exits from a balcony and since we only have one it is a mezzanine. The mezzanine and exterior porch are seldom used, but they are certainly necessary for the historic appearance of the building. Because access to this area was not important for the use of the building, the cost was not included in the second phase. However, the Friends felt it was very important to have the stairs, not only for access, but because it looked very strange to have a hole where the stairs were to be placed. Local contractor, Jim Hunt, was hired to complete the stairway. The contract called for plywood at the first landing of the stairs, because of cost. Jim felt that this would very negatively reflect on his work and he donated the oak for the landing, a welcome addition to the project.
The restoration of the Opera Hall had much support from the community who volunteered their labor for the project. While we appreciated this, it was felt that the city should be very careful about who was allowed to work on the building. We quickly came to the consensus that any construction should be by licensed contractor, in accordance with the proper building codes.
Because we did not have a stage after phase two, we used a portable stage that was owned by the Sonora Sunrise Rotary club. The flooring was heavy duty plywood, donated by Fibreboard, but it was only about a foot high. Pete Snook, with the Chiefs of Harmony approached the city. Their organized wanted to use the Opera Hall and offered to build a stage that would be the proper height, if the city would supply the materials. We told him that, while we appreciated the offer, only licensed contractors could work on the building. He responded that that was no problem as he was a licensed contractor, as was one other member of their group. City Engineer, Jerry Fuccillo, donated his time to do the plans for the stage, the Friends paid for the materials and the Chiefs of Harmony and members of Sonora Sunrise Rotary constructed the stage. Pete Snook spent considerable hours on the construction and coordination of the project. Jerry designed the stage in four foot by eight foot sections that were bolted together, after the flooring was installed. Fortunately, there were a couple of young men working on the construction who were willing to work under the stage on rollers to bolt the sections.
[1] History of Tuolumne County California, B. F. Alley, San Francisco, 1882, Pages 361-368.
[2] Mae Bromley McMahon, A Little Girl’s Memories of a Small Mining Town, (Coulterville, CA: Bald Mountain Press, 1991, page 81. Mae was referring to Divoll’s Reservoir when she wrote the following. “There was a small reservoir on Knowles’ hill. Later Mr. Knowles built a dance pavilion near it. On moonlight nights in the summer with jack-o-lanterns reflecting on the water and sweet music playing it was a very romantic place. Bill Segerstrom built his home there after the reservoir was filled in.”
[3] Tuolumne Independent (Sonora, CA) June 14, 1879, Page 5
[4] Tuolumne Independent (Sonora, CA) Divoll & Bray, Advertising poem, July 31, 1880, Page 5, Column 1
The people say,
In flour granulation,
Have met demand,
For highest brand,
To feed this Yankee nation.
If workers weed
Their brain to feed
And muscle needs a power,
Tis better far
To get the Star
The granulated flour.
Sonora Star
Will shine afar,
And tell the world its name,
Like peerless dust,
It surely must,
Have still a rising fame.