Did you know Salem, Indiana used to have an opera house?
The Etzler Opera House was located on the southeast corner of the Salem Public Square where the police department is today! It was built by J.W. Etzler sometime in the 1880s, extending from the corner of the square to South High Street. The opera house itself rested on the second floor of the building, as the Etzler Livery stables were housed underneath. It was frequently reported that mules and horses could be heard during events, and sometimes the smell would waft its way up to the second floor.
The Etzler Opera House was the place to see various stage productions, including but not limited to: plays, local talent shows, community events, musical performances, and motion pictures. Their busiest years seemed to be 1904 and 1905 with a plethora of shows and performers coming from all over to share their talents with the Salem community. And ticket prices never were more than $1.00!
The house was definitely a sight to be seen. One of the more ornate buildings on the Salem Square, with theater boxes trimmed in gold, and red velvet curtains framing the stage. Unfortunately, we have very few photos of the Etzler Opera House. The ones present in our collection feature glimpses of the building in corners of photographs, or on the edge of aerial shots of the Square.
The Etzler Opera House eventually went out of business, with the livery giving way to auto storage in 1927, and in 1941 it was bought and converted into Cook's Garage. The building was finally torn down in 1968 to build City Hall, which in turn was eventually converted into the Salem Police Department.
If you, or someone you know, has photos of this bygone feature of Salem, share them with us!
