Stuart's Opera House

After his showboat sank in a storm, George Stuart returned to Nelsonville, married Nancy Dew of a prominent local family, and began building a permanent theater. Stuart's Opera House opened in 1879 at the start of Nelsonville's boom period and became a cornerstone of the town on its historic Public Square. It offered many kinds of entertainment, served as a gathering place for the community, and hosted some of the era's most successful acts until it closed in 1924. Efforts to reopen it in the 1970s were delayed by a devastating fire in March 1980, and the grand reopening did not come until 1997. Today it is a world-class performing arts center and historic theater that continues to host concerts, plays, and performances, with the community still central through arts education programs and the annual Nelsonville Music Festival.

Nelsonville, Ohio · United States