MITCHELL — The focus of the restoration of the Mitchell Opera House is about more than fresh paint, new windows and technological upgrades. It's about the landmark's story — a historic tale that is still being written.
The Opera House restoration, a project undertaken by Hoosier Uplands when the city of Mitchell turned the building over to the nonprofit, is a grand endeavor. The building, constructed just after the turn of the 20th Century as a county hall, now features a new roof and windows as well as sound, lighting, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling upgrades.
But those updates are only part of the story. And that's why Andie Redwine of By The Glass Productions was brought in to tell the rest of the story.
During the July 4 grand opening festivities, attendees will see a video Redwine is creating that will detail the Opera House's rich and varied history, which includes a storied visit by William H. Taft as he was campaigning to become the country's 27th president.
"They knew that if they were going to win an election, they would have to campaign hard and win Indiana," Redwine said. "... Taft boarded a specially made train car in Cincinnati and came to Mitchell, where he stopped when the train had to make a switch on the rail lines. ... There were 10,000 people gathered to hear him, but the thing about Taft is he was a big man, but didn't have a big voice, so the Moore family put the president-to-be in a carriage and brought him to the Opera House for the acoustics. There were wall-to-wall people inside here."
Redwine continues to extensively research the building's history, and especially enjoys telling stories about Menlo Moore, the grandson of Mitchell entrepreneur Milton Moore. Menlo Moore took over the operation of the Opera House, peddling it to top performers and spurring the building's heyday.
"You can't talk about turn-of-the-century Indiana history without mentioning Mitchell because of the railroad," Redwine said. "This was really a huge economic boom town."
And she finds it amazing Mitchell's landmark still stands, representing a prized piece of the community's history.
"You really couldn't throw a rock in those days and not hit an Opera House in Indiana," Redwine said. "... They're mostly gone now, but Mitchell's had some staying power and still does."
That's exactly why David Miller, chief executive officer of Hoosier Uplands, opted to make the building's restoration one of the organization's community development projects.
"If someone came to the Opera House in 1906, then came back in 2015, they'd recognize it. It's the same building, same history, only it's just a lot smoother and better," Miller said. "There's a lot of history in this building, and you can't talk about the Opera House without focusing on that history."
One thing Redwine noticed while researching the Opera House's history is that it appears about every 30 years or so, the building underwent a revival. In fact, it has been about 30 years since the Hartzell family — led by the late Doug Hartzell — restored the building, bringing it back from its use as City Hall to an entertainment venue again.
To honor the Hartzell's commitment, the video will include several photographs of Doug working on the building during that time period.
"The community has always taken ownership of this building," Redwine said. "It's like they say, 'It's ours, and we have to take care of it.'"
And that's exactly why Hoosier Uplands is breathing new life into the landmark.
"Once the people of Lawrence County see this place, they will be really impressed and quite proud of it," Miller said. "It's really going to be the best around, and I think it'll be used a lot. When you have something like this in your community, you've got to take care of it and use it."