On Nov. 12, 1994, the 1891 Fredonia Opera House opened with a sold-out variety show that celebrated the culmination of a major restoration effort. What had been the Winter Garden Theatre until it closed in 1981, reopened as the 1891 Fredonia Opera House after nine years of work performed largely by volunteers.
On the same date exactly 30 years later, Dick Gilman, one of those volunteers, gives a presentation on just how that restoration project progressed.
Gilman’s talk gives a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and accomplishments, the set-backs and the leaps forward that transpired over nine years. Photos rarely seen in three decades will be paired with stories culled from various volunteers giving their perspective of the immense undertaking.
Part of the Chautauqua County History Lecture Series
Admission is FREE, although donations are gratefully accepted