“From the Archives” – Hill’s Opera House

In the 1880s, two prominent Saint Mary parishioners, John Lannon and J. Marriott Hill, provided Alexandrians with a venue for entertainment and cultural enrichment — Alexandria’s Opera House, on the corner of King and Pitt Streets (500-508 King Street).

An entrepreneur with many interests, John Lannon opened the opera house in 1883. The large building featured a restaurant and game room on the first floor and an elegant theater on the second floor, “handsomely furnished” and accommodating about 1,700 patrons. This arrangement, with commercial space on the first level and an entertainment hall on the second, was typical across the country after the Civil War.

Local newspapers often carried articles about Saint Mary and its parishioners sponsoring or attending lectures, musical programs, and other cultural or political topics in the opera hall. There was a great deal of anti-Catholic sentiment at the time, and Catholics were anxious to publicly display their cultural interests. Ireland was a popular topic, as were light operas, such as those by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Lannon died in 1886. A member of Saint Mary’s prominent Hill family, J. Marriott Hill, then assumed management. The opera house was renamed “Hill’s Opera House,” or just “Alexandria’s Opera House.” Hill must have been extremely busy. His printing firm was located in the building; he was involved with his brother Zorobabel Hill in the Saint Asaph racetrack and betting parlor; and he was Alexandria’s tax collector and a partner in the family’s shoe factory. He still found the time to be deeply involved in charitable activities at Saint Mary Church.

Tastes changed over the years. After the current Saint Mary Lyceum was built in 1906 at 313 Duke Street, its large upstairs space became the venue for parish programs formerly held in the opera house. Sadly, the beautiful Alexandria Opera House eventually was converted into a bowling alley.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2022. An archive of the features is located here.