Cheboygan in Cheboygan County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Cheboygan Opera House

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 25, 2025

1. The Cheboygan Opera House Marker

Inscription.
When Cheboygan's town founders envisioned the future for the village of Cheboygan in 1877, they made a commitment to the arts. Their new town hall would hold the city council chambers, the police department, the fire department and a magnificent theater upstairs.

The wooden building burned down in 1886, but the town council voted to rebuild a magnificent three-story brick building, designed by architect Frederick Hollister. Another fire damaged the roof in 1903. By 1962, brick damage and violations of new fire codes caused the Opera House to close, facing demolition.

[Captions:]
Hollister's 1888 building showcased the arches, twists, turns, gables and bell towers of Richardson Romanesque revival architecture. Watercolor by Davis Grey.

The intricate details of the original columns inside the Opera House are a feature of the Romanesque Revival style popular in the Victorian Era.

When it was restored in 1904 by Frederick Hollister, the gabled roof of the Opera House was replaced with a flat roof. Undated photo from Johnson's Studio.

Cheboygan citizens rallied to raise significant funds to restore the building, reopening it in 1984. "The Jewel of the North" remains a community hub and home for the arts.

The higher the proscenium arches the further the sound travels, giving the U.S. Coast Guard Band near perfect acoustics. Photo by Tony Johnson 2019.

Topics.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.

Location. 45° 38.799′ N, 84° 28.587′ W. Marker is in Cheboygan, Michigan, in Cheboygan County. It is at the intersection of North Huron Street and Backus Street, on the right when traveling south on North Huron Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 403 N Huron St, Cheboygan MI 49721, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula,

on the Straits of Mackinac,

and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cheboygan (approx. 0.2 miles away); Grand Army of the Republic Monument (approx. ¼ mile away); Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings

The Cheboygan Opera House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 25, 2025

2. The Cheboygan Opera House

(approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Mary Church (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cheboygan.

The Cheboygan Opera House Plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 25, 2025

3. The Cheboygan Opera House Plaque

The Cheboygan Opera House Benchmark image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 25, 2025

4. The Cheboygan Opera House Benchmark

Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 29, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.