Firm to reclaim wood from historic Lebanon opera house

June 03, 2008 01:29 am

— Wood from the historic Brown’s Grand Opera House and Theatre in downtown Lebanon will be reclaimed for use in future projects.
Cannon Salvage Inc. has been hired to assist in the wood reclamation efforts.
“We are proud to have been selected to help with this important project,” said Kyle Clifton, general manager for Cannon. “Buildings such as this opera house are a testament to times gone by, and we feel it is important to preserve as much of that history as possible.”
The opera house was constructed during the summer of 1885 by J.C. Brown & Co. While the plan had always been to create a theater, for the first year, the upper floors were used primarily as a roller skating rink.
Over the next 30 years, the theater hosted a wide range of events from theatrical performances to boxing matches. Now, due to fire hazard concerns and the costs of refurbishing, the building is now considered useless for modern business.