Old Petaluma Opera House Explained

Old Petaluma Opera House
Location:147-149 Kentucky St., Petaluma, California
Coordinates:38.235°N -122.6408°W
Built:1870
Architect:Brainerd Jones
Architecture:Beaux Arts, Stick/Eastlake
Added:December 22, 1978
Refnum:78000801

The Old Petaluma Opera House (also known as the Maclay Building) is a historic building located in downtown Petaluma, California.

History

It was built in 1870 as a theater, lecture hall, and dance hall. In 1901, the upper floors were converted to office and meeting space and the street level was remodeled for retail space, and a new prefabricated cast iron facade, manufactured by the Mesker Brothers company of St. Louis, Missouri was installed.

The Nielsen Furniture Company occupied the building from 1944 to 1960.[1] As of June 2010, the building houses law offices and an Irish-style pub. It features Stick/Eastlake architecture.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rinehart . Katherine J. . Petaluma: A History in Architecture . Images of America . 2005 . Arcadia Publishing . Mount Pleasant, SC . 978-0-7385-3004-8 . 16.