Sanford in Seminole County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Imperial Opera House

Erected - 1910

— 119 South Magnolia Avenue —

The Imperial Opera House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By AGS Media, December 30, 2011

1. The Imperial Opera House Marker

Inscription. Sanford's center for entertainment, the Imperial Opera House opened June 15, 1910. The contractor W.G. Hammond built the building for the owners T.J. Miller and son. George A. DeCottes was the first lessee of this building which replaced a barn-like structure across the street as the town's opera house.

The building is constructed in the Florentine Palazzo style of rusticated concrete block with a flat roof and parapet. The exterior has since been covered with stucco and the mezzanine windows and the arched doors have been enclosed. The front of the building features a suspended canopy with a mansard roof which was added after 1925.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places - 1976

Erected 1989 by the Sanford Historic Preservation Board.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Florida - Sanford Historic Preservation Board series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 15, 1859.

Location. 28° 48.654′ N, 81° 16.011′ W. Marker is in Sanford, Florida, in Seminole County. Marker is at the intersection of South Magnolia Avenue and East Second Street, on the right when traveling north

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on South Magnolia Avenue. The marker is mounted along the corner of the building, facing the sidewalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 South Magnolia Avenue, Sanford FL 32771, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Sanford Herald Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The Hill Hardware Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The Peoples Bank Building and Block (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The DeForest Block (about 300 feet away); The Whalers Saloon (about 300 feet away); The N.P. Yowell and the Garner-Woodruff Buildings (about 300 feet away); The Meisch Building (about 300 feet away); The E. E. Brady Livery Stable (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sanford.

Regarding The Imperial Opera House. The Imperial Opera House building is not listed individually with the National Register of Historic Places. In the NRHP listing cited by the marker, the building is designated one of several Contributing Structures within the Sanford Commercial District, a National Historic District.

Photographed By AGS Media, December 30, 2011

2. The Imperial Opera House Marker

Photographed By AGS Media, December 30, 2011

3. The Imperial Opera House Marker

Mounted on the corner of the building

The Former Imperial Opera House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By AGS Media, December 30, 2011

4. The Former Imperial Opera House

The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed By AGS Media, December 30, 2011

5. The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center

Directly across the street from the old Imperial Opera House is the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, built in 1923 as the Ritz Theater (and later also known as the Helen Stairs Theatre). This building was listed with the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 (reference #00001130).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 649 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.