Start your Los Angeles area historic theatre explorations by heading to one of these major sections: Downtown | North of Downtown + East L.A. | San Fernando Valley | Glendale | Pasadena | San Gabriel Valley, Pomona and Whittier | South, South Central and Southeast | Hollywood | Westside | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | Long Beach | [more] L.A. Movie Palaces |
To see what's recently been added to the mix visit the Theatres in Movies site and the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page.

Pomona Opera House

NW corner Third and Thomas Streets Pomona, CA 91766 | map |

Opened: November 1885. It was a single story frame building with a small balcony at the rear of the house. Evidently it had a flat main floor initially with risers added at the rear later. 

It was also known as Taylor Opera House and Jackson's Opera House.  

Closing: The Opera House burned November 14, 1895. 

Status: This location now has a commercial building on the site that dates from perhaps 1913, originally known as the Investment Building and now called the Founders Building. The south bay of that building was the original lobby of the California/United Artists Theatre when it opened in 1923.

 
A look toward the stage with the venue set for a banquet. It's a photo from the Taylor Opera House & Armory Historical Society of Pomona Valley that appears on the website of the Pomona Public Library. 
 
 
 
A photo the Pomona Public Library dates as 1892, when it was Jackson's Opera House, taken during an entertainment given by Donald Bowles and Arthur Dole. They also have another version of the photo. 

An early map in the Pomona Public Library collection. In the lower right there's an interior view they identify as the Caldwell Grand Opera House. The assumption is that it's the same building. 
 
 

Looking west on 3rd across Thomas St.. The Opera House was once on the corner. That's the United Artists Theatre down the block. Photo: Google Maps - 2019
 
More information: There isn't any yet on this venue. 

There were two other early theatres in town that called themselves opera houses. The Fraternal Aid Opera House was at 3rd and Gordon. The Armory Opera House was on 2nd between Gordon & Park.

| back to top | San Gabriel Valley, Pomona, Whittier theatres | theatres by address: San Gabriel Valley, Pomona, Whittier | South, South Central and Southeast theatres | Pasadena theatres | Downtown theatres | Westside theatres | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | Los Angeles theatres - the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |   

Posted by

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)