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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Littleton in Grafton County, New Hampshire — The American Northeast (New England)
 

Tilton's Opera Block

 
 
Tilton's Opera Block Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2017
1. Tilton's Opera Block Marker
Inscription.
Store clerk Henry Lowell Tilton (1828-1909) joined the Californian Gold Rush and returned to make his fortune in timber and real estate. In 1881, he built this, the town’s largest brick structure and the architectural template for Main Street’s industrial era. A mix of Victorian styles is evident in the cast iron moldings, textured surfaces and keystoned windows. Tilton promoted concerts, and the vestibule of his Opera Block is a theater entrance. Due to uncertain demand, the theater wing was never built. Since 1972, attorney John B. Eames has continued the mix of retail, office and residential uses that Tilton intended.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ArchitectureIndustry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.
 
Location. 44° 18.37′ N, 71° 46.261′ W. Marker is in Littleton, New Hampshire, in Grafton County. Marker is on Main Street (U.S. 302) east of Mill Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is a metal plaque mounted at eye-level directly on the front wall of the subject building. Marker is mounted near the west end of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 19 Main Street, Littleton NH 03561, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Methodist Church (a few steps from this marker); Harrington Block (within shouting distance
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of this marker); Littleton Stamp & Coin Co. (within shouting distance of this marker); Jax Jr. Cinemas (within shouting distance of this marker); Eames Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Salomon Block (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chutter Block (about 300 feet away); Rounsevel Building (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Littleton.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Littleton, New Hampshire Historic Buildings
 
Also see . . .
1. Tilton Opera Block.
Henry Tilton made his wealth during the Gold Rush in San Francisco then returned to Littleton and invested in several enterprises including real estate. He built the grand hotel, The Mount Pleasant, nearby in Carroll, and the Tilton Opera Block. The original design of the building was intended for performance arts until the town built the Opera House. In 1945 Littleton Coin and Stamp Company was launched on the second floor of the building, a mail order firm that became nationally prominent. Today the Tilton Opera Block consists of modern apartments on the 3rd
Tilton's Opera Block Marker (<i>wide view; marker is visible near west [right] end of building</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2017
2. Tilton's Opera Block Marker (wide view; marker is visible near west [right] end of building)
floor, Office space on the second floor and Commercial storefronts on the Main Street level. (Submitted on April 14, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 

2. Tilton's Opera Block.
A peek inside the double doors of Tilton’s Opera Block reveals a vestibule with grand staircase to the second level where Henry Lowell Tilton (1828-1909) made provisions to construct a hall for concerts. He designed his 160-by-50-foot block to accommodate a future auditorium that would extend to the river’s edge, but subsequently determined that the community would not unite behind such a venture. (In the late 1800s, the word “theater” had unsavory connotations, so performance halls were called “opera houses.”) (Submitted on April 14, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 
 
Tilton's Opera Block (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 7, 2017
3. Tilton's Opera Block (wide view)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 375 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 14, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024