Our road trip in Jefferson County comes to a close at one of the most iconic buildings in all of Jefferson County.
MONTICELLO, FL (WTXL) - The Monticello Opera House has been a landmark in the county for more than a century.
"It's well known from all the locals. Everyone has a dear and near place in their heart for the Monticello Opera House," said Javier Betancourt, the Executive Director of the Opera House.
Built in 1890, it was known as the Perkins Opera House but was much more than just a place to hear music.
"It has been a multi-purpose center from the beginning," said Betancourt. "The downstairs was used for hardware stores. Out back, there was a stable for horses, and the post office was actually here as well for the Jefferson County locals."
The Opera House is known for its perfect acoustics. The building's designer chose curved spaces to capture the best sound. And the architecture is worth noting, too.
"Heart pine was used fully in the turn of the century to build plantation houses, and certainly everything in those days was made from wood, so there's really none of that left today," said Betancourt. "We're fortunate to have a building made from that."
But despite its unique elements, Betancourt says things started to decline in the middle of the twentieth century.
"In the 50s to 70s, they attempted to use it a movie theater. Didn't do too well, so it was more or less in disuse," he said.
In the 70's, the city of Monticello planned to demolish the Opera House. That's until a group got together to raise enough money to restore the Opera House, which now serves as a civic center of sorts for the city. Betancourt says the building hosts large amounts of weddings, anniversaries and banquets.
The building has welcomed numerous performers and guests over the past 126 years.
"We have had a lot of great singers such as Sarah Mac and many others," said Betancourt. "We have had some local dignitaries come through here, including General Snowden."
Today, the building continues to host events and productions year-round, including this year's kick-off dinner for the 66th Annual Watermelon Festival.
